By SUZANNE DOWNING
June 10, 2026 – Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom’s investigation into the candidacy of Daniel James Sullivan Jr. took a new turn Wednesday after the Petersburg resident informed state officials that he does not intend to cooperate with requests for documentation related to his US Senate campaign.
In a sharply worded letter dated June 10, Sullivan accused Dahlstrom of conducting a politically motivated investigation and argued that her office has no authority to require him to provide evidence regarding his candidacy.
“I am running for U.S. Senate as a Republican under my lawfully given name,” Sullivan wrote. “The law forbids your office from denying me access to the ballot just because Senator Sullivan and the NRSC would prefer I not be allowed to run.”
The dispute stems from Dahlstrom’s Friday announcement that the Division of Elections had opened an investigation into Sullivan’s candidacy amid allegations that his campaign could be intended to create voter confusion with incumbent US Sen. Dan Sullivan, who is seeking reelection this year.
The investigation followed complaints from Sen. Dan Sullivan’s campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, both of which have raised concerns about what they describe as a coordinated effort to exploit Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system by placing another Republican candidate with the same name on the ballot.
Dahlstrom’s office said the Division of Elections had received what it described as credible allegations that Daniel James Sullivan Jr.’s candidacy may not have been filed in good faith and requested documentation regarding the campaign’s formation and operation.
But Sullivan rejected the premise of the investigation.
In his letter, he claimed he first learned of Dahlstrom’s inquiry from a reporter rather than from state officials and accused the lieutenant governor of coordinating with the media before contacting him directly.
“I originally received the letter not from your office, but from a reporter,” Sullivan wrote. “This indicates that you started working with the press to generate a story on your investigation before ever contacting me.”
Sullivan also denied allegations that his candidacy is connected to former Congressman Mary Peltola or her campaign.
“The premise of your letter is that ‘credible’ allegations have been made that I am running for office in coordination with Mary Peltola to confuse Alaska voters,” he wrote. “This allegation is entirely false.”
According to Sullivan, he has had no conversations with Peltola’s campaign and is running because he believes Sen. Dan Sullivan has “routinely failed the people of Alaska.”
The candidate acknowledged that political consultant Amber Lee is advising his campaign, a relationship that has become a central focus of scrutiny surrounding his candidacy.
Lee’s involvement drew attention after metadata embedded in Sullivan’s initial campaign announcement identified Amber Lee Strategies as the creator of the document. Lee has previously worked on Alaska Democratic campaigns and was involved with the Vote Alaska Before Party political organization, which supported ranked-choice voting.
Sullivan argued that Lee’s prior political work does not justify the state’s investigation.
“As I have publicly said, Amber Lee is working as a political advisor to my campaign,” Sullivan wrote. “I am a first-time candidate and found myself in need of strategic guidance, so I reached out to Ms. Lee.”
He added that, to his knowledge, Lee does not work for the Peltola campaign.
“The fact that a political consultant has done prior political consulting is not a legitimate reason for your office to investigate me and demand I supply you with an affidavit under penalty of perjury on less than 48 hours’ notice,” he wrote. He did not mention the fact he has donated to Mary Peltola.
The letter stops short of explicitly refusing every request made by the Division of Elections, but Sullivan makes clear that he believes the state lacks authority to compel the information sought and characterizes the inquiry as an attack on his constitutional rights and ballot access.
The confrontation marks the latest chapter in a controversy that has drawn national attention. Decoy Dan appears to be intending to siphon votes from the incumbent senator by creating confusion among voters who see two Republican candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has already filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission seeking an investigation into the campaign. Separately, Sen. Dan Sullivan’s campaign has urged state election officials to scrutinize whether the candidacy was filed in good faith.
Dahlstrom has not publicly indicated what action the Division of Elections may take if Sullivan declines to provide the requested information.
Alaska’s candidate withdrawal deadline is June 27. Ballots for military and overseas voters are scheduled to be mailed in early July ahead of the Aug. 18 primary election.
4 thoughts on “Decoy Dan strikes back, says lieutenant governor’s investigation is not legitimate”
/the Lieutenant Governor is IN CHARGE of elections in Alaska. If she’s investigating you it is BY DEFINITION legitimate. yeesh.
I have a feeling the Demonrats are going to let this guy take the fall for this. I’m good with them feeding him to the sharks after painting him with blood.
I wonder if he will treat the Federal Election Commission the same way? If political consultant Amber Lee is consulting Daniel James Sullivan Jr. to operate his campaign in this manner then he isn’t getting his monies worth.
Republicans insult voters by believing they can’t distinguish between the two.