Report: Federal and state prosecutors investigating Dan J. Sullivan’s US Senate candidacy

DOJ and Alaska officials are pursuing conspiracy, mail fraud, other possible charges due to accusations challenger with same name as incumbent is trying to confuse voters, NBC reports

U.S. Senate candidate Dan J. Sullivan poses for a photo in Petersburg on June 26, 2026. (Katie Holmlund/Associated Press)

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

Federal and state prosecuters are investigating the U.S. Senate candidacy of Petersburg resident Dan J. Sullivan to determine if it is a conspiracy to confuse voters since he has the same first and last name as the incumbent, NBC News reported Thursday.

The network, citing "two people with knowledge of the investigations," reports "the FBI, the Alaska attorney general and the U.S. attorney’s office in Alaska are all investigating whether two or more people conspired to create the Sullivan challenger’s campaign with the intention to confuse voters, hurt the incumbent and boost votes for (Democratic challenger Mary) Peltola."

The Alaska attorney general’s office began its investigation into whether any state laws were violated before federal investigators began their probe, according to NBC. The network reports the federal investigation "is looking for possible wire fraud or a conspiracy to deprive Alaskan voters of a free and fair elections process, which could be a civil rights violation."

Reagan Zimmerman-Hartzheim, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Alaska, told the Juneau Independent at midday Thursday "I have no comment for you at this time."

Sam Curtis, a spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Law, declined Thursday to confirm or deny a state-level investigation by law enforcement officials into Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy is occurring. However, Curtis noted the state attorney general does not itself conduct criminal investigations.

"The Department of Law has the authority to accept a criminal referral from any entity, provided that the allegations support criminal enforcement," he stated in an email. "But generally, all criminal referrals are from traditional law enforcement agencies."

Dan J. Sullivan’s attorney, Jeffrey Robinson, did not immediately respond to a call at midday Thursday from the Juneau Independent. The NBC report states his campaign declined to comment

Sullivan, in candidate statements and legal documents, has declared he is legitimately seeking the Senate seat held by his namesake and denied an intent to confuse voters.

"If you don't support a candidate, you have the right to vote for someone else, not have them removed from the ballot," a message posted on his campaign Facebook page Wednesday evening states. "I appealed this decision not just for me but for anyone who might choose to run for office someday. I am sure there will be more challenges placed in front of me, there already are, but I will do my best to fight them not just for me but for all of us."

The report comes amidst a lengthy legal dispute about Dan J. Sullivan’s ballot status and Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom announcing last month an investigation by her office of his candidacy was underway.

The Alaska Supreme Court on Monday declared Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy is legitimate. The Alaska Division of Elections subsequently published a sample ballot taking extraordinary measures beyond those specified in state law to distinguish the two candidates by listing Sen. Sullivan as "incumbent" (with no such designation for any other candidate in any race) and the challenger as "Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.’ with no party affiliation — even though he is a registered Republican.

The Cook Political Report on Wednesday moved the race from "Lean Republican" to "Toss Up" due to Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy.

"Both parties are preparing for the possibility that Dan J. Sullivan advances to the top-four general election in November, potentially siphoning at least a few points away from the GOP," the political website notes. "This race was already destined to be competitive after Democrats landed an ideal recruit in former Rep. Mary Peltola, a proven electoral overperformer, and even a few points could make the difference in the state’s top-four ranked choice voting system."

Federal officials under President Donald Trump have launched a multitude of investigations and other efforts involving elections since he began his second term in January of 2025. The New York Times on Thursday reported he "is trying to use the levers of the federal government, along with personal influence over state and local lawmakers, to reshape the rules governing the 2026 midterms and future elections in extraordinary ways."

Among those is the FBI asking field offices across the country to allocate more than 200 staffers to an investigation of the 2020 election in Georgia’s Fulton County, the Associated Press reported Thursday. Trump has falsely claimed widespread election fraud, including activities in Georgia, cost him the 2020 election.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.