Man with same name as U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is eligible for Alaska's primary ballot, judge rules

By — Becky Bohrer, Associated Press Becky Bohrer, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/man-with-same-name-as-u-s-sen-dan-sullivan-is-eligible-for-alaskas-primary-ballot-judge-rules Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Man with same name as U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is eligible for Alaska's primary ballot, judge rules Politics Jun 27, 2026 6:35 PM EDT JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A man with the same name and party affiliation as Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is eligible to challenge the senator in the August primary, a judge ruled Friday. Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews' ruling overturns a June 15 decision by Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher to disqualify the challenger and keep him off the primary ballot. Matthews' ruling can be appealed to the state Supreme Court. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Attorneys for the state have said Tuesday is the deadline for a final ruling so that ballots for the Aug. 18 primary can be printed. The judge ruled that the division's decision to exclude Dan J. Sullivan because his candidacy was not "in good faith" was not based on the Constitution, Alaska law or the division's own regulations. The retired teacher from the small fishing community of Petersburg filed to challenge the incumbent. "Instead, the decision was based upon a new, previously unstated, 'good faith' criteria," the judge wrote. The division is appealing the decision, Sam Curtis, a spokesperson with the state Department of Law, said by email Saturday. Jeffrey Robinson, an attorney for Dan J. Sullivan, said in an email he expected the division to appeal and couldn't comment until the Alaska Supreme Court rules on the case. The controversy over the two Dan Sullivans has underscored the stakes involved in the incumbent's reelection campaign. The Alaska race is one of about half a dozen U.S. Senate races expected to be highly competitive in the fall, and the seat is one Democrats are trying to flip in their efforts to try to regain the majority. READ MORE: Senate candidate with same name as incumbent Dan Sullivan ineligible for ballot, official rules The senator and allies, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, have condemned the challenger's efforts to join the race, arguing his presence could confuse voters. Under Alaska's election system, the top four candidates from the primary, regardless of party, move on to the ranked-choice November general election. The senator has accused the challenger Sullivan of working with Democrats and the campaign of Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola — who is considered the senator's main opponent — to cause confusion and boost Peltola's chances. Peltola's campaign and state Democrats have denied the allegation, as has the challenger. Sen. Sullivan and Peltola are the highest-profile candidates in