By SUZANNE DOWNING
May 29, 2026 – A Petersburg man named Dan Sullivan has launched a campaign website for the US Senate, potentially setting up one of the most unusual dynamics of Alaska’s 2026 election cycle.
The website, Sullivan for Senate, promotes a Democratic campaign for US Senate under the name “Dan Sullivan” — the same name as Alaska’s incumbent Republican U.S. senator, Dan Sullivan.
As of Friday, however, no federal candidacy filing for the Petersburg Sullivan appeared in the Federal Election Commission database. Federal law generally requires candidates for federal office to file a Statement of Candidacy after raising or spending more than $5,000 in campaign activity. At this point, he may or may not be in violation of FEC rules.
The timing has raised questions because former congresswoman Mary Peltola, the leading Democratic challenger to Sen. Sullivan, was recently in Petersburg. No evidence has yet shown coordination between Peltola and the Petersburg candidate, but the emergence of another Dan Sullivan in the same race shortly after her visit is certain to draw attention in a state now operating under a top-four primary and ranked-choice voting system.
Under Alaska’s election system, all candidates appear together on the same jungle primary ballot regardless of party affiliation, with the top four advancing to the general election.
Jungle primaries and ranked-choice voting can create opportunities for voter confusion, particularly when candidates share similar or exactly the names. Before Ballot Measure 2 took effect, Republicans and Democrats appeared on separate primary ballots, making such situations less likely to affect intra-party voting.
Another notable wrinkle is the campaign branding itself. The Petersburg candidate’s website uses the name “Sullivan for Senate” — a phrase that longtime Alaska political observers may remember from Sen. Sullivan’s original 2014 campaign. Sen. Sullivan defeated Democrat Mark Begich in that race and has served in the Senate since 2015.
Whether the Petersburg Democrat ultimately files with the FEC and qualifies for the ballot remains to be seen. But if both men named Dan Sullivan appear on the same statewide ballot, election officials and campaigns may face pressure to ensure voters understand which candidate is which. If not, yet more questions will be raised about the security of Alaska’s election system.
31 thoughts on “Name game: Petersburg Democrat named Dan Sullivan launches trick on voters with Senate campaign”
There’s another Mary Peltola who lives in Alaska too. The Republican Party is working right now to draft her as the conservative Democrat candidate. Let’s have some fun, Alaska.
“Confusion” is the Democrat’s stock in trade. Let’s give it back to them in spades. Can’t wait for the debates…..
“………“Confusion” is the Democrat’s stock in trade………”
The confusion is just one aspect of the evil that is truly their stock in trade. This is clearly no coincidence.
Which party does Trump claim to be a member? Who is the absolute worst president of all time? Hegseth and Miller are republicans and as evil as can be.
“………Which party does Trump claim to be a member?………”
He was a Democrat until 2016. Like many other Democrats, he has repented. He’s now a Republican.
Republican. Obama. And I think maybe you don’t like to hear the truth very often. Just sayin’.
Just look up on the Internet under “drunk fishermen from Petersburg.” Another brainwashed Democrat recruit. No shortage of them either.
“Who is the absolute worst president of all time? ”
Wow Evan that’s a loaded question and I am guessing one you really do not want the answer to, but here it goes….
My candidates are:
Andrew Jackson (Bank wars, Indian Removal act)
William Taft (loads of scandals and the split of the republican party)
Woodrow Wilson ( income tax, Federal reserve, league of Nations, treaty of Versailles)
FDR (programs prolonging the great depression)
LBJ (micro managed the Vietnam war)
George HW Bush (leaving Saddam in place after the war, breaking his tax promise)
Bill Clinton (lied under oath and other scandals)
Jimmy Carter (Iran hostages, oil embargo)
Honorable mention should go to Barack Obama for inflaming racial strife along with the un-affordable care act and the committee walking Joe Biden around for 4 years.
For me the leading candidates for “worst president ever” are Woodrow Wilson and FDR for their fundamentally transformational policies and legislation, that are counter to the founding documents and the country’s basic premises.
Democrats are most “confused,” as they teach it to their children. LGBTQ. Same sex marriages. Gender identity changes. DEI. CRT. Boys in girls sports. Nose rings and nipple piercing. Purple and green hair. To name a few.
Democrats just want everyone else as confused as they are.
Unbelievable, the lengths of evil they will go to. The evil wicked mind of the demoncrats. Most republicans are respectful to a degree. This is not surprising. Hey, look over here while we cheat over there!
Dude. Who is the party of cheating? It’s sure as hell not Democrats.
Ballot harvesting, Illegals Voting, Racist Gerrymandering, Coordinating with Private Entities (Google, Facebook, etc.) to censor opposition, Using Illegals to inflate Census Representation, and more.
No
LOL! “No”????
Just because you can’t face it doesn’t mean it isn’t true, Evan. I remember you yelling about “the threat to democracy”. Well manipulating the system and creating deliberate chaos with a candidate of the same name, who changes his party affiliation to create more confusion, is neither respecting our system nor the voice of the people. It is all about making the “sheeple” do what YOU want…..
I hope the Division of elections will print photos of the candidates on the ballots. It is the only way to clearly differentiate each one and foil this attempt at manipulation and cheating.
Say it three times and it is true? Really?
Tamra. Aren’t you a mega Christian? You’ll believe anything.
Man, have you been brainwashed. The Democrats cheat wherever and whenever possible; it’s in their DNA.
And for today’s exercise in cognitive dissonance, we have one each ES Singh.
Here’s a fun question: If democrats aren’t the party of cheating, why do they oppose the SAVE America Act? Cheers –
Which party keeps fighting to keep complicated, internet-connected voting machines in place? Which party always fights against election audits? Which party opposes voter ID? which party keeps figjting for the convoluted shell game that is RCV? Which party did Bill Tax Walker’s leiutenant gov. belong to?
It’s your man Trump that wants to steal your money and give it to convicted felons. I’d call that cheating. Maybe you’d call it patriotism
Jan 6 was a hoax, Evan. Convictions carry precisely the same weight as those of Stalin’s Show Trials. Years in solitary for trespassing? Really? While the rioters during the 2020 Summer of Love and all the anti-ICE riots walk away laughing.
Be careful, as you guys are very close to having to play your new game by your new rules. I don’t think you will like it a lot. And you shouldn’t. Cheers –
And all this time Democrats have been complaining about voter disenfranchisement.
I looked at his site. I did not see anywhere where he is running as a Democrat. Voter records for Petersburg do not show a Dan Sullivan registered. They do show a Daniel Sullivan registered as an undeclared. This group makes up about half of Alaska voters. I do not know if that is the same Dan Sullivan. Maybe you should of contacted him for information before you decided on a conspiracy theory. There is about as much journalistic integrity here as your John Williams doxing.
“I know in my heart that dIMOCRAPS will screw the people.”
Isn’t there a new ad that says that?
This guy was convinced to run by a dirtbag marketing consultant named Amber Lee. her website is amberleestrats.com. Supports every hard left position. Democrats cannot win an honest, straightforward election.
Trump the republican couldn’t win an honest straightforward election so he tried to kill the Vice President
Didn’t hear about Trump trying to kill JD Vance. That’s a new one…….
Is that deflection meant to be biting gotcha accusation or are you daft?
According to the state of Alaska election web site he has signed up to run as a republican. His candidacy still says pending. So I guess we will have to wait till Monday to see how important that middle initial recognition will be.
This is blatant election interference and one of the most corrupt, sleazy political moves by the Democrats I’ve ever seen in Alaska. “Decoy Dan” Sullivan from Petersburg, the fraudster who has donated to ActBlue, one of the most radical far-left money machines in the country — is deliberately trying to deceive Alaskan voters. He switched his filing to Republican at the last second after cozying up to Mary Peltola’s circle, all while hoping Alaskans are naive enough to confuse him with the real Senator Dan Sullivan.
This is a direct threat to our Democracy, iconically the same Democracy the left constantly claims is under attack. Yet here they are running a name stealing decoy operation to rig the top-four primary.
Voters, stay alert! Look for Dan J. Sullivan (the impostor from Petersburg) vs. Dan Sullivan (our incumbent). Don’t let them steal your vote!
Okay, turnabout is fair play we need to have a Republican right now change their name to Lisa Murkowski so they can run in 2028 against her.