Alaska elections director moves to disqualify Senate challenger

A Republican U.S. Senate candidate could be removed from Alaska's August primary ballot under a preliminary ruling issued Thursday by the state Division of Elections, changing the choices voters will see in a race that has drawn national attention.

Division of Elections director Carol Beecher issued a preliminary determination that Republican Dan J. Sullivan is not eligible to run for U.S. Senate and gave him a deadline to provide additional information before a final determination. The division said it had received two complaints about the challenger's eligibility but did not specify which evidence led to its preliminary decision.

The dispute centers on Dan J. Sullivan, a Republican candidate who shares the same name and party affiliation as incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. National Republicans and Sullivan allies have alleged that the challenger's candidacy is coordinated with Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign to confuse voters. Both campaigns deny the accusation.