Two Candidates Named Dan Sullivan to Appear on Alaska Senate Ballot

Two candidates named Dan Sullivan will appear on the general election ballot for the US Senate in Alaska. The candidates include the incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan and a political unknown, Dan J. Sullivan Jr. Recent primary results show Democratic former Representative Mary Peltola leading with 48.2 percent of the vote, followed by Senator Sullivan at 42.6 percent and Dan J. Sullivan Jr. at 2.5 percent. The fourth spot on the ballot remains undetermined between David Leslie and Gerald Heikes.

Alaska uses a ranked choice voting system that allows voters to rank multiple candidates. This system is intended to mitigate the impact of having two candidates with the same name, as votes for the eliminated Dan J. Sullivan could filter down to the incumbent Senator. However, historical data from 2022 and 2024 House races suggests that many voters exhaust their ballots by not listing backup options. In those previous races, an average of 28 percent of a candidate's voters did not rank a backup when their first choice was eliminated.

Dan J. Sullivan Jr. describes himself as a moderate Republican who has voted for Mary Peltola twice and never for Senator Sullivan. He performed best in Democratic areas, including parts of Anchorage where he received 4 percent of the vote.

Outlets with a center left lean frame the situation as a potential risk to the GOP majority that may be blunted by the ranked choice system. Conversely, an outlet with a center right lean frames the situation as a circus where voter confusion could determine control of Congress.