Alaska Lieutenant Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom has officially launched a probe into Daniel James Sullivan Jr., a resident of the state that is currently running against GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan, over concerns that his candidacy might confuse voters and undermine the election due to the two men having almost identical names.
Dahlstrom sent a letter to Sullivan stating the Division of Elections will decide whether his campaign was launched in “good faith” or if he’s using the name similarity to cause confusion ahead of the primary race in August. Sullivan, who is now known as “Decoy Dan,” just so happened to switch from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party before launching his campaign, which immediately raised red flags about his motivations.
“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 went on to say in a statement Monday. “Serious allegations have been raised concerning this filing in the race for U.S. Senate, and the people of Alaska deserve a thorough and transparent investigation to ensure that the election is carried out properly and without deception.”
According to a report from The Daily Caller, Dahlstrom also revealed that there are “credible allegations” that Sullivan deliberately got involved in the race to intentionally cause confusion. “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,” the letter said.
Both Sullivans are running against former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, who lost in 2024 to GOP Rep. Nick Begich. Sullivan, of course, has denied allegations of working alongside the Peltola campaign, stating he has a natural interest in running for office, according to reports from the Associated Press. “I have every right to run for whatever office I’m qualified for, and I’m qualified for this office,” Sullivan stated.
“I think I’m doing what most Americans would think would be a patriotic thing to do when you’re unsatisfied with the status quo. You stand up and say, I’m going to fight for things I believe that are going to make my community better,” he added. A spokesman representing Peltola said that her campaign “has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.”
Commenters on the story aren’t buying what Sullivan is selling. One user wrote, “This guy’s campaign is complete BS. I’d bet money somebody on the left put him up to this.” Another individual called into question the integrity of the Democratic Party, writing, “Democrats have no moral compass and would cheat, lie, and steal just to get in office.”
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Another person agreed with the first commenter and said, “Obviously, Mary Peltola is behind this scum.” Someone responding to that comment sarcastically replied, “Go on. Pishaw. Ya don’t say. Unbelievable.” Another individual discussed Republican In Name Only Sen. Lisa Murkowski, saying, “As does RINO scum AK Senator Murkowski. She instituted ranked choice voting to steal the last election. Alaska can do better!”
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