Alaska U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan moved on to the general election following Tuesday’s primary, handily outpolling — though not eliminating — “dirty trick” Dan Sullivan. The challenger, a retired federal employee and teacher (of the sort who attends “No Kings” rallies) is suspected by most observers of being a “confusion candidate” meant to siphon votes in Alaska’s open primary, finished third. Because state rules send the top four vote-getters to the general election, both candidates will appear on the ranked-choice ballot in November.
At this writing, Senator Dan Sullivan is a close second to Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola in the primary voting and the other Dan Sullivan is a very distant third.
Why conclude the second Dan Sullivan is a dirty trick candidate, as described by Senator Dan Sullivan and others?
According to Alaska election officials, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. initially sought ballot access as “Dan Sullivan”, although his voter-registration records identified him as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. The Division of Elections regarded that as evidence that he wanted voters to mistake him for the incumbent. He also changed his party affiliation to Republican immediately before filing, and had never before been registered as a Republican.
“Dirty Trick” Dan Sullivan’s campaign also had connections to a Democratic political consultant, one whose work history included supporting Democrats. Alaska election officials actually tried to remove “Dirty Trick” Dan Sullivan from the ballot, but the state Supreme Court ruled he could be on the ballot. This week Reuters reported that The United States Department of Justice is investigating the campaign of the second Dan Sullivan and has issued Grand Jury subpoenas as part of a federal probe into what could be shenanigans.
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Senator Dan Sullivan should be in good shape for the fall run-off as he is a relentless campaigner and a very effective senator who will run hard through the tape in a state President Trump carried by 13% two years ago, and do so with a general election voter turnout expected to more than double Tuesday’s vote.
Voting numbers from the past year demonstrate that general election turnout can and does soar over the August primary totals, even in mid-term elections.
The current statewide count in Tuesday’s primary was around 109,000 ballots when this column filed, and the final number should rise as absentee ballots are counted.
In the 2024 general, 340,981 Alaskans voted after 108,906 voted in the primary.
In the 2022 general, 267,047 voted after roughly 190,000 participated. That year the Senate and gubernatorial races generated unusually high primary interest.
Much attention focused on the suspected dirty trick in recent weeks on the second Dan Sullivan and that focus will continue through the fall. The Alaskans I know are completely up to speed on the suspected bluff and the general electorate should decide on the merits, though the ranked choice rules are never well understood, even by long-term Alaskans.
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Senator Sullivan is a patriot and well known to his fellow Alaskans. Senator Sullivan joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1993, serving on active duty and subsequently in the Marine Corps Reserve, retiring with the rank of colonel.
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Senator Sullivan’s service included a short-term deployment in Afghanistan as a reservist, (he remained in the Marine Corps Reserve for many years while pursuing his civilian career) and his extended active-duty deployment was from 2004–06, with substantial time in the Middle East, Horn of Africa, and Central Asia. His military background has strongly influenced his Senate work, particularly on defense, Arctic security and veterans’ issues.
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Senator Sullivan attended Harvard College and Georgetown University Law School, clerked for federal and state judges and worked as an attorney in Alaska before joining President George W. Bush’s administration, Security Council staff, before becoming W’s Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs, serving in that job from 2006 to 2009.
Senator Sullivan then served as Alaska’s Natural Resource Commissioner and as its Attorney General before successfully running for the Senate in 2014. At 61, Sullivan has entered his prime as a senator with the sort of Senate seniority that allows him to serve Alaska’s citizenry very well. Alaska’s most important economic issues — oil and gas development, mining, federal lands, resource management and Arctic development as well as the U.S. military presence in the Arctic state — depend on their Senate duo having the clout that comes with seniority. Sullivan, along with Senator Lisa Murkowski, have that.
Senator Dan Sullivan will be on the November ballot with a ballot designation “Republican incumbent,” backed by a major campaign effort across every media platform with a seasoned GOTV team turning out every voter. Alaskans who know the stakes for their state, and they know too the deep downside for the Alaska economy when Democrats control the upper chamber in D.C. They won’t get fooled by a faux Senate candidate working the weird rule set up north.
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