Alaska ballot will show two Dan Sullivans differently — here's what voters need to know

The Alaska Division of Elections has released a sample ballot showing how it will print two men named Dan Sullivan on the same August 18 primary ballot.

The challenger, Dan J. Sullivan, a former U.S. Forest Service employee and teacher from Petersburg, will appear as "Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr." with no party affiliation listed, despite having filed as a Republican. The incumbent, Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, will appear with his party label and the word "incumbent" next to his name.

The sample ballot is the end result of a legal fight that played out in June. The Division twice removed Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot, concluding his filing was not made in good faith. Anchorage Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews reversed that decision, writing that "the Division has utilized a previously unidentified criterion 'good faith' to exclude Sullivan from the primary ballot" and that the exclusion "contradicts the Alaska Supreme Court's established presumption in favor of candidate eligibility." The Alaska Supreme Court affirmed that ruling on June 29.

A separate issue is party labeling. Dan J. Sullivan filed as a Republican, but the sample ballot carries no party next to his name. The incumbent's campaign called the challenger a "sham candidate" and described his entry as "an effort to confuse Alaskans" and "dirty politics" by Democrats. Dan J. Sullivan denied the characterization, calling himself a "pragmatic Republican centrist." Mary Peltola's campaign, the Alaska Democratic Party, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also denied involvement.

The race is already competitive without the name overlap. Peltola, a former U.S. representative, entered the race in January 2026. Multiple forecasters rate the general election a tossup. Sen. Sullivan had $9.1 million raised as of March 31; Peltola had $8.7 million.

Alaska uses a nonpartisan jungle primary in which the top four candidates advance to a ranked-choice general election on November 3. Voter registration for the August 18 primary closes today, Sunday, July 19. Voters who want an absentee ballot by mail must request one by August 8.