In Alaska, a political conflict is growing over an unusual issue that could affect the control of Congress: the presence of multiple Dan Sullivans on the state’s Senate ballot.
Dan J. Sullivan, a former educator, was striving to maintain his place on the ballot for the upcoming November elections against Senator Dan S. Sullivan, a sitting Republican from Alaska. A state elections official recently attempted to disqualify Dan J. Sullivan.
This situation has attracted attention from both Democrats and Republicans. Although Dan J. Sullivan, who claims to have recently registered as a Republican, is not expected to be a strong competitor, Republicans worry some voters might mistakenly vote for him instead of supporting the incumbent, which might help a Democratic candidate, former Representative Mary Peltola, in a race crucial for control over the Senate.
Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, a Republican, announced an investigation into Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy on Monday. Her office is probing “credible allegations” of coordination between him and Ms. Peltola to confuse voters.
Further complicating the issue, Alaska’s chief elections officer, Carol Beecher, also a Republican under the oversight of the lieutenant governor, sent Dan J. Sullivan a letter on Wednesday. This letter, shared by Beecher’s office and reported by The Anchorage Daily News, suggested possible ineligibility for his candidacy. He was given until Thursday night to provide documentation supporting his eligibility.
Both Dan J. Sullivan and Ms. Peltola have rejected claims of collusion in his campaign. Dan J. Sullivan issued a statement on Thursday criticizing the actions of Lt. Gov. Dahlstrom, suggesting these created “the impression that the state government is being used to protect an incumbent senator from facing competition at the ballot box.”