By SUZANNE DOWNING
May 30, 2026 – Mary Peltola may have just handed Alaska voters the strongest argument yet for repealing ranked-choice voting and the open primary system.
A Democrat from Petersburg named Dan Sullivan has suddenly emerged as a candidate for the US Senate. Not Sen. Dan Sullivan, Alaska’s Republican incumbent. A different Dan Sullivan. A fraud.
On its face, that’s unusual enough. But the circumstances surrounding the launch raise eyebrows.
Just days after Mary Peltola, who is the leading Democrat candidate for US Senate, visited Petersburg, the Democrat with the exact same name as Alaska’s sitting US senator unveiled his campaign website and announced his candidacy. He’s now filed with the Division of Elections.
Then came another interesting detail: The metadata embedded in the campaign press release identifies the author as Amber Lee, a longtime Anchorage Democrat political strategist with deep ties to Democrat campaigns and Alaska’s political left.
Coincidence? Think again. If it was a coincidence, it is one that requires voters to suspend a every last shred of disbelief.
The national press certainly picked up on it right away. Mary Peltola became a national story, but not for the reasons she might hope. No longer innocent Mary. Now, she’s Machiavellian Mary.
Fox News ran a story under the headline, “Dan Sullivan vs. Dan Sullivan: GOP blasts clone candidate as lookalike enters Alaska Senate race.”
Other outlets have likewise focused on her fingerprints, such as this headline at KSLM radio in Salem, Oregon:
EXCLUSIVE: Mary Peltola Caught Trying to Plant Fake Candidate in Alaska Also Named ‘Dan Sullivan’
The issue is not whether the Decoy Dan has a constitutional right to run for office. Of course he does.
The issue is whether Alaska’s election system now creates perverse incentives for political operatives to exploit voter confusion.
Before Ballot Measure 2 in 2020, Republicans voted on Republican primary ballots and Democrats voted on Democratic primary ballots. A Democrat named Dan Sullivan would never have appeared on the same primary ballot as Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Today, under Alaska’s open primary system, everyone appears together. That means voters will in August face a ballot featuring two Dan Sullivans competing for the same office. With an incredibly long ballot (20 candidates for governor and 14 for Senate), voters will have to pay extra-close attention.
If the Petersburg candidate advances to the general election, the confusion could become even more pronounced. In many communities, especially smaller rural communities where voters busy with subsistence season may not closely follow campaign developments, distinguishing between candidates with identical names will not be simple. And that’s exactly what Democrat political operatives are counting on: Uninformed voters.
The proponents of ranked-choice voting promised a system that would produce better-informed voters and better outcomes. Instead, Alaska now finds itself confronting a scenario that sounds more like a political prank than serious election reform.
Mary has embarrassed the entire state with this political prank.
If voters conclude that devious political insiders are trying to game the system rather than win honestly in the marketplace of ideas, the backlash may extend far beyond this Senate race: It could be the death knell for jungle primaries and ranked-choice generals.
In the end, this episode may be remembered for what it revealed about Alaska’s lunatic experiment that was built so that Sen. Lisa Murkowski could game the voters in 2022. Let’s hope this puts an end to the ranked-choice racket for good.
Meanwhile, remember the “R” by Sen. Dan Sullivan’s name on the ballot stands for “REAL.” The Real Dan Sullivan.
The “D” by the other Dan’s name stands for Decoy Dan. Devious Dan. Dishonorable Dan. Dastardly Dan. Disgraceful Dan … or you name it.
Suzanne Downing is founder and editor of The Alaska Story and is a longtime Alaskan.
Name game: Petersburg Democrat named Dan Sullivan launches trick on voters with Senate campaign
7 thoughts on “Suzanne Downing: The curious case of Machiavellian Mary and Decoy Dan”
The American Marxist playbook requires:
“Confusion” and “Chaos.” This is the creed of Democrats, to turn our great country into a communist state. The Democrats are the enemy of freedom and liberty.
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This stooge from Petersburg is just one of many instruments of confusion and chaos . A pawn by the left, to be thrown away like used toilet paper after the election. He’s a nobody. And yes, he is an idiot, and will be long remembered for being an idiot. (remember Opioid Al, another long forgotten idiot from SE Alaska)?
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Mary Peltola is a loser. She doesn’t have a prayer of winning, even if the stooge from Petersburg stays in the race. The ONLY reason the Democrats drafted the stooge from Petersburg is because they already know Mary Peltola is a loser.
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Alaskans will be ready and well approved of more tricks from the cesspool of rank choice voting.
UNBELIEVABLE!!!! ABSOLUTELY UN’FRICKING’BELIEVABLE’!!! Just how inventive cheaters discover ways to CHEAT!!! One voter, one vote. Period.
Correction SP:
“Well-apprised”…….(not, approved)
They can’t win if they can’t cheat and they know it. Here is proof.
Politics is a tough game. If we need to cheat to win, well, then we’ll just cheat. It’s the right thing to do. Also, we do it because Donald Trump says we should’nt.
State of alaska has Dan J pending and registered republican. Will the real Dan Sullivan pleas stand up.
Dems read marxists being deceitful? I am shocked I tell you. A funny self own little Mary.