Alaska Senate Race Heats Up: Sullivan and Peltola's Candidacy Under Scrutiny
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Republican senator Dan S Sullivan will be joined on the November ballot in Alaska by a challenger with a nearly identical name from the same party, election officials confirmed on Tuesday, adding a twist to what is expected to be one of the most hotly contested races of the midterms.
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PBS NewsHourRepublican with same name as incumbent Dan Sullivan advances from Alaska U.S. Senate primary A candidate with the same name as Alaska's incumbent U.S. senator has advanced to the general election in what will be one of the most closely watched races in the country this fall.
New York PostRetired teacher Dan J. Sullivan made the cut in Alaska’s open contest that is sending the top four candidates from either party on to the general election, according to multiple projections over a week after the Aug. 18 primary.
PoliticoThe other Dan Sullivan makes November ballot against Sen. Dan Sullivan Retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan could play spoiler in a high-stakes Alaska Senate race.
Washington ExaminerAlaskan voters will again be faced in November with two Senate candidates named Dan Sullivan after both men advanced from the state’s all-party primary Tuesday to the general election.
NBC NewsFormer teacher Dan J. Sullivan will join Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola on the general election ballot in Alaska’s Senate race, NBC News projects.
Fox NewsDan J. Sullivan Jr., a Senate candidate in Alaska who has made headlines for sharing a name with incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, R-Alaska, has officially advanced to the general election, the Associated Press announced on Wednesday.
Associated PressDan J. Sullivan, who goes by Dan Sullivan, was among the top four finishers after the Aug. 18 primary and moved on to the November matchup, which is a ranked choice contest. The incumbent, Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, and Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola also have advanced.
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The second Sullivan has denied accusations that he’s a plant tied to Peltola designed to foil Sen. Sullivan’s reelection. Meanwhile, Peltola has distanced herself from national Democrats as she seeks a statewide seat in a state President Donald Trump won by 13 points.
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New York PostDan J. Sullivan has denied accusations that he is a Democratic plant seeking to siphon votes from Sen. Sullivan by having the same name, thus boosting Peltola.
The Guardian USIt’s unclear how much of a threat the other Sullivan may pose to the senator’s chances of winning re-election. His 2.5% of the vote is much less than the more than 48% received by Peltola and almost 43% senator Sullivan won in last week’s primary.
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The Last Frontier state last picked a Democrat for Senate in 2008, but Peltola managed to flip Alaska’s at-large US House seat in 2022, proving that she is a force to be reckoned with in statewide races.
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NBC NewsPeltola, a former state legislator and city council member, became the first Alaska Native to represent the state in Congress when she won a statewide special election in 2022 and then a full term months later. Peltola lost her seat after one term by 3 percentage points, running well ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket in 2024.
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In addition to Alaska, Democratic leaders are seeking to win Senate seats from Republicans in North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Iowa, all of which voted for Donald Trump in 2024. They also hope to pick up a seat in blue state Maine, while defending Democratic-held seats in Michigan, Georgia and New Hampshire.
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New York PostDemocrats see Alaska as one of their top four pick-up opportunities for the Senate this cycle alongside Maine, Ohio and North Carolina.
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The incumbent Sullivan and Peltola are the leading candidates in the Senate race, after raising the most money and having statewide name recognition. It’s one of a handful of Senate races around the country considered competitive and pivotal for both parties’ hopes of controlling the chamber.
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Washington ExaminerThe contest between Peltola and Sullivan, who is seeking a third term, is rated a “toss-up” battleground matchup that could help determine control of the Senate.
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The Justice Department has issued grand jury subpoenas as part of a federal investigation into the second Sullivan’s candidacy, according to media reports.
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NBC NewsState and federal prosecutors are investigating whether his candidacy is part of a conspiracy to confuse voters. The federal investigation is moving forward, with a law enforcement official telling NBC News that a grand jury issued subpoenas last week to compel information from witnesses related to the Dan J. Sullivan campaign.
6 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 Fox News He joins Sen. Sullivan and former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, as the third of the final four candidates.
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02 New York Post Complicating things for the Republicans has been Dan J. Sullivan’s inclusion on the ballot.
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03 Washington Examiner The second Sullivan came in a distant third with less than 2.5%. The fourth-place candidate hasn’t been declared as of Wednesday morning.
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04 NBC News But some voters end up ranking only one candidate, which could matter in a close race — and Alaska’s Senate race could be one of the closest in the country this year.
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05 The Guardian US The Republican senator is running for a third term against Democrat Mary Peltola, a former US House representative whom polls show is neck-and-neck with him in a state that hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate since 2008.
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06 Associated Press President Donald Trump endorsed Sen. Sullivan for reelection and called the other Sullivan’s candidacy an attempt to trick voters. Dan J. Sullivan criticized the incumbent for embracing Trump’s endorsement and said the president was “more interested in raising tariffs on our allies than in lowering the cost of groceries, housing and energy.”
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