By SUZANNE DOWNING
June 8, 2026 – Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom has opened a formal investigation into the candidacy filing of Petersburg resident Daniel James Sullivan Jr., raising the possibility that the candidate known as “Decoy Dan” could face scrutiny before being allowed to appear on Alaska’s August primary ballot.
In a June 8 letter to Sullivan, Dahlstrom said the Division of Elections must determine whether his declaration of candidacy for US Senate was submitted in good faith and whether his name can appear on the ballot without creating voter confusion.
The move comes after days of controversy surrounding Decoy Dan Sullivan’s entry into the race against incumbent US Sen. Dan Sullivan. The two men share the same first and last name, and Daniel James Sullivan Jr. recently changed his party registration to Republican before filing for office.
“The Division of Elections has a fundamental obligation to protect the integrity of Alaska’s elections and ensure voters are not deceived about the identity of the candidates on their ballot,” Dahlstrom said in a statement announcing the investigation.
According to Dahlstrom’s letter, state officials have received what she described as credible allegations that Sullivan filed for office in coordination with another campaign and with the intent of confusing voters who intended to support the incumbent senator.
That other campaign is presumably Mary Peltola, the Democrat that Decoy Dan has supported financially in the past.
“There are credible allegations that you declared your candidacy in coordination with another candidate and campaign out of intention to confuse and manipulate voters by capitalizing on the fact that you share a first and last name with the incumbent senator and have selected the same political party affiliation,” Dahlstrom wrote.
The lieutenant governor said the allegations, if proven true, would represent an unprecedented situation in Alaska elections and could undermine voter confidence.
The state is seeking a sworn affidavit from Sullivan addressing a series of questions, including whether he had direct or indirect contact with any other US Senate candidate, political campaign, Democratic Party operative, or party-affiliated organization before filing his declaration of candidacy.
Dahlstrom also indicated the investigation will examine whether Sullivan’s filing was made with a genuine intention to seek office or whether it was primarily intended to divert votes from the incumbent senator by creating confusion among Republican voters.
The controversy surrounding Sullivan’s candidacy has intensified in recent days as political operatives and party officials continue to scrutinize potential ties between the candidate and Democratic political networks.
Additional questions have been raised after Republicans highlighted the political background of Sullivan’s son, Noah Casey Sullivan. Public records show Noah Sullivan works for US Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, a Democrat from Washington state. Gluesenkamp Perez was one of Mary Peltola’s biggest allies in what was known as the Blue Dog Democrats in the US House. Before joining the congresswoman’s office, Noah Sullivan worked on campaigns for Alaska Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, former congressional candidate Alyse Galvin, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Arizona Democratic campaigns, and the campaign of Gluesenkamp Perez.
Republicans have also pointed to Noah Sullivan’s previous work on the 2020 U.S. Senate campaign of Dr. Al Gross, a race in which the Alaska-based Ship Creek Group played a prominent role.
The Republican National Committee seized on the latest developments Monday, arguing that the growing list of Democratic connections surrounding the candidate raises further questions about the purpose of his candidacy.
“Terrified Democrats are trying to rig Alaska’s elections again because they know she’s on a pathway to losing again,” RNC spokesman Nick Poche said in a statement.
Republicans have previously highlighted several other factors they say suggest Democratic involvement, including the role of Democratic consultant Amber Lee in launching Sullivan’s campaign announcement, Sullivan’s history of donations to Democratic candidates, and the fact that former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola visited Petersburg shortly before Sullivan entered the race.
No evidence has been publicly presented showing that Peltola, her campaign, or the Alaska Democratic Party coordinated with Sullivan’s filing. Peltola has denied involvement.
The investigation comes less than three months before Alaska’s Aug. 18 primary election and could have significant implications for how the race for US Senate appears on the ballot.
Dahlstrom’s office has not indicated when a final determination will be made regarding Sullivan’s eligibility or ballot designation.
11 thoughts on “Breaking: Dahlstrom opens investigation into ‘Decoy Dan’ Senate filing, cites credible allegations of voter confusion scheme”
What a crybaby Dan Sullivan is!
Daniel James Sullivan Jr. would be best served to be honest about how this came to be.
We all know Peltola’s campaign is involved. Anyone still doubting Dems propensity to cheat needs to wake up; it can no longer be doubt but rather denial. This relates to the compelling line in the Law Abiding Citizen drama: “well it’s not what you know; it’s what you can prove in court.” Dem cheating has become brazen…. as if they are daring anyone to do anything about it as they bank on the high burden of proof in our judicial system. I bet they never banked on someone posting a large reward for evidence. Or perhaps a Go Fund Me account.
The bottom line: Dan S. Sullivan can warn voters. He can campaign hard. He can say, “Make sure you vote for Dan S. Sullivan.” But he should not get special government protection from lawful political competition. The ballot belongs to the people, not the incumbent. Liberty Ed Martin Jr
That only works if the middle initial is listed on the ballot
Ed, I have no issue with Dan J. running.
However I have a serious concern that he changed his party affiliation literally minutes before he filed his intent to run. If this is all on the up and up then run as the democrat you have been all your life. Anything else at the least looks deceptive and manipulative and warrants a closer look. I further wonder what the democratic national committee would say if the republicans ran a “Mary Saddler Peltola (D)” name sake. I remember the uproar and litigation last time when “the felon” ran and Mary wanted him off the ballot and he had a different name and just a D.
A Taxpayer , I have no issue with any qualified candidate on the people’s ballot! Liberty Ed
FINALLY! Nancy Dahlstrom is doing her job to clean up Alaska’s screwed-up election process. Run this down to the source, and if it violates any law, PROSECUTE! and invalidate fraudulent candidate filings. Next. Clean up the voter rolls.
What bothers me most is the arrogance behind this whole thing. It appears Senator Sullivan and national Republican interests believe Alaska voters are too stupid to know which candidate they want.
If there are two men named Dan Sullivan, then make the ballot clear. Use middle initials, full legal names, hometowns, occupations, and voter pamphlet information. That is fair.
But do not insult the voters by acting like they cannot read, cannot think, and cannot choose for themselves.
An incumbent senator does not own the name Dan Sullivan. The Republican Party does not own the ballot. The NRSC does not get to decide who is a “real” Republican candidate. And the Lt. Governor’s office should not become the enforcement arm for an incumbent’s campaign anxiety.
If Senator Dan S. Sullivan is the better candidate, let him prove it to the voters. Let him campaign. Let him explain his record. Let him tell Alaskans why they should pick him.
But using state investigative power against another qualified citizen because the incumbent fears voter confusion looks like weakness, not leadership.
Alaskans are not stupid. We do not need Washington, D.C. political operatives or Juneau officials deciding which candidates are safe enough for us to consider. Give us a clear ballot, give us the facts, and let the people decide.
Ed, take a chill pill. I have a whole bunch of friends who are Republican but do not watch or read the news and have no idea that this scandal is taking place. The best thing we can do is spread the word because the mainstream media won’t.
Dennis S ,my APRA request to the Lt. Governor office may in 10 days or so give us more answers to this scandal & who is scandalous! The Republicans or DJ Sullivan ( decoy Dan) if that’s what some people want to call him. Liberty Ed