Updated sample ballot maintains extraordinary listings for two Dan Sulivans in US Senate race

Mark Sabbatini
2 minutes ago
3 min read

Sen. Dan Sullivan is only candidate in any race listed as ‘incumbent’; Petersburg challenger is listed as ‘Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.’ with no party affiliation — contrary to his filing

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

The state is going well past "Sullivan, Dan S." and "Sullivan, Dan J." to distinguish the two Republican U.S. Senate candidates.

Two-term Sen. Dan S. Sullivan is the only candidate in any race on the state’s official sample ballot published Wednesday to have "incumbent" next to his name — there’s no such indicator for U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III or state legislators. And retired Petersburg teacher Dan J. Sullivan is the only candidate on the ballot without a political party indicator, even though he is a registered Republican.

As of Wednesday, both the Alaska Division of Elections and the Petersburg Sullivan aren’t saying much about the listing, which follows what has been a contentious month-long legal battle that may influence which political party controls the U.S. Senate next January.

"At this time, the Division of Elections does not have additional information beyond what has already been publicly shared," Stephen Kirch, a spokesperson for the division, stated in an email Wednesday sent to media members. "Please continue to monitor our website and the public calendar for updates, deadlines, and any new guidance."

Dan J. Sullivan’s attorney, Jeffrey Robinson, declined to comment when contacted by the Juneau Independent on Wednesday afternoon.

A sample ballot from the Alaska Division of Elections shows Petersburg resident Dan J. Sullivan as the only candidate not listed with a political affiliation, even though the division has previously acknowledged his registration as a Republican.

The updated ballot follows the release of a draft ballot late Monday that raised questions about if the elections division was exceeding its authority.

State regulations call for the candidates to be listed with their middle initials if they have the same first and last names. But election officials, during legal proceedings last month, stated they didn’t believe that was enough of a difference to avoid voter confusion. The elections division decertified Dan J. Sullivan as a candidate on June 15, claiming the purpose of his candidacy was confusion aimed at diverting votes from the incumbent in what is expected to be a close race against Democrat Mary Peltola.

The Alaska Supreme Court on Monday upheld a judge’s ruling overturning the division’s action and placing Sullivan back on the ballot. But the Supreme Court’s ruling also stated the division will determine "how appellee Sullivan shall be listed as a candidate within the confines of existing Alaska ballot design law."

The elections division stated during court hearings a final decision on Sullivan’s eligibility was needed by noon Tuesday in order to print ballots in a timely fashion. However, a further legal challenge by Sullivan or parties on his behalf to the ballot listing could disrupt that process.

Meanwhile, allies of Sen. Dan Sullivan are arguing his namesake challenge should be investigated, alleging his campaign is deceptive and possibly a violation of federal law. Attorneys Michael Fragoso and Sean Cooksey, who have represented prominent Republican leaders, published a column with that argument Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal, and Sen. Dan S. Sullivan’s campaign shared a social media post by a fellow Republican senator calling attention to the column.

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