By SUZANNE DOWNING
June 16, 2026 – Democrat State Sen. Forrest Dunbar and Sen. Bill Wielechowski are getting a legal review of the decision that removed Petersburg resident Daniel J. Sullivan from Alaska’s US Senate ballot. Dunbar and Wielechowski say the state has overstepped its authority and created a dangerous precedent.
The East Anchorage Democrat’s defense of Decoy Dan Sullivan comes just days after he raised concerns about voter confusion in a Facebook post recalling a 2022 election in which Republican House candidate Forrest Wolfe used the slogan “Run Forrest Run” while campaigning in East Anchorage. That is a slogan that Forrest Dunbar has taken from the movie “Forrest Gump” and adopted as his own.
In a lengthy Facebook post Monday, Dunbar argued that Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher lacked authority to remove Daniel J. Sullivan (Decoy Dan) from the ballot.
Democrats get caught trying to cheat Alaska Senate race with a Dan Sullivan double
Dunbar characterized the state’s reasoning as weak, noting that many politicians use shortened versions of their names on campaign materials and ballots.
He pointed specifically to incumbent US Sen. Dan Sullivan, who appears on ballots as Dan Sullivan despite being registered as Daniel Scott Sullivan.
Then he turned on Congressman Nick Begich, who appears on ballots as Nick Begich rather than Nicholas Begich.
“Nicholas J. Begich III appeared on the 2024 ballot as ‘Nick Begich,’ the name of his famous, progressive grandfather. He is registered to vote as ‘Nicholas John Begich.’ Daniel S. Sullivan appeared on the 2020 ballot as “Dan Sullivan.” He is registered to vote as “Daniel Scott Sullivan.”
But Dunbar blew it on the facts.
First, his claim regarding Congressman Begich completely confuses two different people.
Nicholas John Begich is the congressman’s father, not the congressman himself or even the congressman’s grandfather, who served in the same office in the 1970s and disappeared in a plane crash. Only the oldest of Alaska voters would remember the elder Nick Begich, who had only served a brief period before his presumed death in 1972.
Second, Nick Begich has been known publicly as “Nick” for decades, dating back to childhood. His use of the name is not a recent change made immediately before filing for office.
Third, there was no other Nick Begich appearing on the same congressional ballot in 2024. In contrast, Daniel J. Sullivan of Petersburg sought to run for Senate at the last minute against an incumbent candidate with the same name. In fact, he attempted to file with the same middle initial “S” as the incumbent, rather than his own initial “J.”
The Division of Elections’ determination did not rely on any single factor. Instead, officials cited a series of circumstances that together suggested the filing was intended to create voter confusion.
Among those factors were Sullivan’s recent change of party registration, his request to appear on the ballot as “Dan Sullivan” despite previously using his middle initial, the timing of his filing, and evidence reviewed during the state’s investigation.
The ruling concluded that the totality of circumstances demonstrated an effort to mislead voters.
Dunbar’s current position also stands in contrast to comments he made earlier regarding Forrest Wolfe.
In a separate Facebook post, Dunbar complained that Republicans had attempted to create confusion during the 2022 election by running Wolfe, whose first name matched his own, while using the well-known “Run Forrest Run” phrase.
“Huh,” Dunbar wrote. “Back in 2022, when the Republicans intentionally tried to confuse voters in East Anchorage by running a candidate named ‘Forrest’ and sending out a mailer using a knockoff of my logo, the AKGOP didn’t complain, and the Lieutenant Governor didn’t investigate.”
Yet Wolfe was running for the Alaska House, not for Dunbar’s Senate seat. The two men were not candidates in the same race and did not appear on the same ballot line.
If Dunbar believed voters could be confused by two politicians named Forrest running in different races, why doesn’t the possibility of confusion matter when two Dan Sullivans seek the same US Senate seat in the same year?
Dunbar argues the state has ventured into dangerous territory by deciding who may run for office.
And yet the Division of Election’s job has never been merely to verify age and residency requirements, but also to protect the integrity of the ballot when evidence suggests a filing may be intended to deceive voters.
Whether the liberal Alaska Supreme Court agrees may soon become the next chapter in Alaska’s increasingly bizarre “Decoy Dan” saga.
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23 thoughts on “Sens. Dunbar and Wielechowski say it’s OK to pretend in politics”
To be honest I feel sorry for children who will grow up with not only one but two confused parents as in Mr and Mrs Dunbar and Mister Wielechowski’s own daughter. Dunbar’s lengthy argument for it, he is gaslighting. And those who struggle with narcissism behavior do gaslight because the gaslighting person is so confused. But. It’s good the confused Dunbars had a child. God-willing the baby will grow up to show his parents how utterly confused they think, live, and act. Children have a way of telling and revealing the truth to their parents about themselves.
The point Gaslighters like Dunbar and Wielechowski want to overlook——
If it wasn’t for the arrogance of Danial J Sullivan trying to register his name on the ballot using the same middle initial; though his name appeared with a J.
His case at the Div of elections would been open a little longer even letting him remain on the ballot. But trying to change his middle name. The case of fraud became glaringly obvious thanks to Danial J Sullivan’s own foolishness and arrogance.
Another thing Forrest Wolfe using the same slogan from Forrest Gump as Forrest Dunbar. Mister Wolfe running for East Anchorage did not change his party affiliation. Had he been a Democrat Alaska could had settled this case of intent to voter confusion much earlier.
I think the Sullivan case has started an important legal argument that will continue and get settled.
Another thing is why I always intuitively called 2024-2026 US Congressman Nicholas Begich iii Nicholas to avoid confusion between the more well known uncle and the grandfather
To be honest and clear Div of elections legally should be printing candidates names as they are registered just like voters must sign their ballot envelopes using the signature they signed on their DMV and voter registration cards as it is plainly written.
Do everything the correct way. Be strict and fair. Then liars have a harder time to confuse people with their lies.
That’s what the State of Alaska government and people needs to learn how to do everything correctly and be strict and fair not being this oh just let it go or lassiez-faire way of attitude
Our lassiez-faire attitude is what gave power to the corrupted individuals we have elected and appointed and hired into positions of leadership and management in the state of Alaska.
Sen Dunbar is correct in that in politics acting and games are permissible. You can act and play games in politics because actors and games is the nature of politics, which is why I hate politics and political people.
That’s why Christians need to not get the Republican Party or even being a Democrat Christian that the Democrat party is being mor Christian than the other.
They are not Christian. They are government ideologies intent toward power and dominance. To reach their goals of power and dominance Politics is played using actors and games.
Senator Run Forrest, Run thinks it is ok to lie about who you are. No surprise, that. He is a democrat, after all.
The rest of his arguments pointing out other intentional attempts to run under the same or similar names as justification for committing this sort of fraud is something I would expect from a 3-year-old, which once again puts him in the right political party.
Forrest was rumored to want to run for governor sometime in the not so distant future. This is yet another demonstration of his complete embrace of the ends justifying the means approach we expect out of democrats. Be careful about going there, as if the rules don’t apply to you guys, they won’t apply to us either, something I don’t think you have ever considered. Cheers –
Well. Maybe Sen Dunbar will get a taste of his own medicine if the AkGOP has new leadership at its core and it’ll find a number of Waldos are born with the name Forrest Dunbar to change their party affiliation to Democrat and run for Governor the same year as Sen Forrest Dunbar.
F*gs love showing off their LGBTQ flag in government meetings. Next ……inside the courtroom. It’s their obsession. F*g language is all, and only, about one thing:
Homosexuality.
It’s the topic they can’t get enough of.
Homosexual addiction is one of the three strongest vices on the planet. When it started going mainstream, via the mainstream press, I knew this country was in trouble. Homosexuality has been advanced in all of our sacred institutions.
Trump lies about being a conservative and a follower of Christ. And he throws tantrums like a child.
But to support your argument, Trump was a Democrat for quite a while…
Another reason why Alaska needs Fmr Sen Shower “Mr. Elections” as our next LT Governor. Please voters?
This is good stuff. Let the Democrats proceed. Any and all legal, political, and financial support Decoy Dan receives from the Democrats builds the case confirming his motive of candidacy for Senate against Senator Dan Sullivan.
The preponderance of evidence builds…………
Don’t those two have anything better to do???………oh wait how about working to pass the LNG legislation in a timely manner, so Alaska can move forward. I guess that is too trivial a matter when compared to Decoy Dan being thrown off the ballot!
Wielechowski opposes the whole concept of A gas pipeline. He’s one of those ” leave it in the ground” morons. He’s on t going to ” work on ” the gas line in any manner than opposing it tooth and nail. But its better that he spends his time on this stuff,instead
If I vote for Dan Sullivan in the US Senate race, it will be for the one from Petersburg. “Ohio Dan” has done nothing for me, despite my requests, to help me obtain specific VA benefits that I have earned and cannot access. Apparently, my advanced age has convinced “Ohio Dan” that it is a waste of time for him to advocate for me and compel the VA to do right by me.
Leftist Democrats will cheat, by any means necessary, to gain or stay in power. Leftist Democrats are capable of any treachery, cheating, fraud, treason or violence.
What a clown.
You’re being far too kind.
.
🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡 are far better than steaming piles of
.
💩💩💩💩💩💩
Run Forrest Run and dont stop until you reach New York city where you can team up with your fellow progressive socialists where you can “Feel the Bern” with Father Mamdami. And take Williekowski with you as excess baggage.
Parasites!
So, two communists think that lying and deception are just fine for our elections. In other news, cold weather is expected to move into Alaska sometime in October…….
Once again proving the old adage that if it wasn’t for double standards some people wouldn’t have any standards at all.
I really enjoy all the feigned outrage from the left, they are bending over backwards trying to make this something that it is not, all while attempting to gaslight he public as per usual.
Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. actively chose to allow himself to be removed from the ballot when he chose not to respond to some basic questions from the Department of Elections. He has yet to challenge the final determination issued on Monday and the clock is ticking. I hope he decides to challenge this final determination by the Department of Elections for the sake of justice and free and fair elections that we all believe in (some claim it while not actually believing it, see the aforementioned double standards and gaslighting). Based upon the information so far I think we all know that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. wasn’t interested in any of that.
KFSK in Petersburg reported that:
“Sullivan of Petersburg said by text Monday that he’s considering his options. He also said the email Beecher referred to, with the mistaken middle initial, contained a typo “and not mine.” He did not say who wrote it.”
That sure is an interesting thing for him to say. If he didn’t fill out his paperwork then I wonder who did…
Did Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. admit that he did not file under oath and inaccordance with AS 15.25.030(a)
“A person who seeks to become a candidate in the primary election or a special primary election shall execute and file a declaration of candidacy. The declaration shall be executed under oath before an officer authorized to take acknowledgments and must state in substance
(1)the full name of the candidate;