Alaska Senate Race Gets Bizarre Twist

Alaska’s Senate race just took a strange new turn.

Sen. Dan Sullivan, the Republican incumbent who has held Alaska’s U.S. Senate seat since 2015, now has a new challenger with a very familiar name.

Dan Sullivan.

That’s right. A candidate from Petersburg, Alaska, named Dan Sullivan announced Friday that he is entering the race to unseat the sitting Republican senator of the same name. And to make things even more confusing, he is not the former Anchorage mayor Dan Sullivan either.

The race was already drawing national attention after former Democratic congresswoman Mary Peltola jumped in, setting up what could become one of the more closely watched Senate battles in the country. But the latest twist may be the most unusual yet: voters could see Dan Sullivan running against Dan Sullivan on the same ballot.

According to the Petersburg candidate’s campaign website, he is running because he is “sick and tired” of leaders who, in his view, look out for themselves instead of the people they represent.

A press release said the Petersburg resident has filed to run against the senator, and as of Friday evening, Alaska’s Division of Elections listed him as a candidate in the U.S. Senate race.

When asked about his same-named opponent during an interview with Alaska’s News Source, Sen. Sullivan declined to comment. His campaign also did not respond.

If both men make it onto the ballot, Alaska election officials say middle initials will be used to tell them apart, in accordance with state law.

Still, the unusual matchup could create a bizarre ballot moment in a race that is already expected to bring national money, national media attention, and a fierce fight over Alaska’s political future.

For Republicans, the sitting Sen. Sullivan is defending a seat that could matter in the battle for control of the U.S. Senate. For challengers, including Peltola and now another Dan Sullivan, the race is a chance to shake up the status quo.

But one thing is already certain: Alaska voters may need to read the fine print before picking their Sullivan.