2 Dan Sullivans face off in Alaska's US Senate primary, which also features a former congresswoman

Alaska's Primary: A Senate Race with Two Dan Sullivans

Alaska voters went to the polls Tuesday for primary contests that will shape November's general election. The most closely watched race was the U.S. Senate contest, where Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan faced a field of 16 candidates, including Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. The campaign drew national attention, with both parties identifying it as a top target for control of the Senate.

A twist in the race was the appearance of Dan J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher from Petersburg with no party affiliation. He appeared on the ballot as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., which a state elections official said was intended to minimize confusion with the incumbent. The senator was listed as Dan S. Sullivan, with the label 'incumbent' accompanying his name, a designation not used for other candidates.

Despite the official's intent, the same-name issue caused concern. Alaska state Sen. James Kaufman, a Republican, said he had at least one person tell him they had to slow down to make sure they didn't make a mistake. He added, 'I can only imagine people who are less engaged in politics — I think it can be confusing.'

President Donald Trump endorsed Sullivan, calling the other candidacy an attempt to trick voters and urging followers to vote for 'SULLIVAN, DAN S.' The judge ruled that Sullivan Jr. could remain on the primary ballot.

Primary Results and Implications

According to preliminary results reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Peltola led the Senate primary field by 5.4% over Sullivan. Sullivan Jr. received 2.3% of the vote, and the votes cast for him would not have closed the gap for Sullivan had they been cast for the incumbent.

Randy Ruedrich, former state Republican Party chairman from 2000 to 2013, said the confusion was evident. He pointed to Rep. Nick Begich's primary totals: 'Nick Begich, without all this entertainment, has 60,061 votes. Nick Begich has slightly less Republican votes than these three Republicans together,' referring to Sullivan, Sullivan Jr., and another Republican candidate, Gerald Heikes. Ruedrich said, 'There is some obvious crossover.'

The name confusion is not unprecedented in Alaska. In 2022, a little-known candidate, Buzz Kelly, advanced to a general election when enough voters confused him with Republican Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka, who had been campaigning using just her first name.

Campaign Finance Concerns

Sullivan Jr.'s candidacy drew scrutiny. Heikes, a veteran, received significant funding, with a report that a Massachusetts liberal contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars. Right for Alaska, an outside group, spent roughly $1.2 million to oppose Sullivan and $410,000 to support Heikes, according to Fox News World.

Sullivan Jr. denied being a sham candidate, saying his run was spurred by frustration with the incumbent. His campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In his own campaign, Sullivan emphasized support for the military, opening more land for oil development, and Trump's tax and spending bill. Peltola used a 'fish, family, freedom' slogan and criticized a system she said is rigged by special interests.

Other Major Races

Alaska's House primary featured Republican Rep. Nick Begich, independent Bill Hill, and Democrat Matt Schultz, who had suspended his campaign but remained on the ballot. The governor's race was open because Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy was barred by term limits. Democratic candidates included Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and Tom Begich; Republicans included Bernadette Wilson, Click Bishop, Dave Bronson, Adam Crum, and Treg Taylor; and independent former Gov. Bill Walker also ran. If either Democrat wins in November, he would become Alaska's first Democratic governor since Tony Knowles left office in 2002.

Ballot Measure on Campaign Spending

Also on the ballot was a citizen's initiative to impose contribution limits in state and local elections. The measure would limit individual contributions to candidates, set a cap for political parties, and limit spending by groups other than parties and on joint governor/lieutenant campaigns. Supporters say limits are needed to prevent special interests and wealthy donors from having outsize influence; opponents argue they would favor candidates with name recognition and restrict contributors' voices. In 2025, spending in a Wisconsin Supreme Court race exceeded $100 million, a record, with involvement from billionaires Elon Musk and George Soros, as the measure's proponents noted.

Election System

Under Alaska's open primary system, all candidates appear on the same ballot, and the four with the most votes advance to the ranked-choice general election. Sullivan's campaign and Kaufman warned that ranked choice voting could be confusing, with Kaufman noting concerns about voters refusing to rank.