The U.S. Department of Justice has issued grand jury subpoenas as part of a federal investigation into the candidacy of Dan J. Sullivan, also known as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a challenger in Alaska’s 2026 U.S. Senate race who shares a name with incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan.
According to a report from NBC News, which cited sources familiar with the matter, the probe examines whether Dan J. Sullivan entered the contest with the intent to confuse voters.
The “other” Sullivan is a retired teacher and former U.S. Forest Service employee from the fishing community of Petersburg, Alaska. He is not related to the incumbent senator.
Back in May, shortly before the June 1 filing deadline, he submitted a declaration of candidacy to run as a Republican for the Senate seat. He had previously registered to vote as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. and changed his party affiliation to Republican in connection with the candidacy. He initially sought to appear on the ballot under the name “Dan Sullivan.”
The candidacy prompted complaints from Republican officials, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee. They alleged that the effort was not a good-faith campaign and was intended to create voter confusion that could divert support from the incumbent and potentially benefit Democrat candidate Mary Peltola, who previously served one term as Alaska’s at-large U.S. House Representative.
Factors cited included the similarity of names and party affiliation, visual similarities between Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign website and the incumbent’s materials, and his engagement of a political consultant whose prior clients included Democratic candidates. Dan J. Sullivan has denied any intent to confuse voters or divert support from the incumbent, stating that his campaign is genuine. Peltola’s campaign and Alaska Democrats have also denied any coordination.
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Asked about why a Democratic consultant helped him file to run, Dan J. Sullivan declined to comment
Other fun fact:
Dan J Sullivan initially registered to run as Dan S. Sullivan, using the middle…— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) August 19, 2026
On June 15, 2026, Alaska Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher determined that Dan J. Sullivan’s declaration was not filed in good faith and was instead submitted with a purpose to confuse or mislead voters, rendering him ineligible for the ballot. Beecher’s decision referenced the candidate’s prior voter registration, recent party change, ballot name request, website design, and consultant connections. No evidence of direct coordination with Democrats was cited in the determination.
Daniel J. Sullivan challenged the disqualification in court. On June 26, Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews ruled that the Division of Elections had abused its discretion by applying a previously unstated “good-faith” criterion not grounded in the U.S. Constitution, Alaska statutes, or the division’s regulations. The judge ordered that Dan J. Sullivan be placed on the primary ballot.
Federal and state investigations into the candidacy began around the same period. According to the report, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Alaska, and the Alaska Attorney General’s office examined whether individuals conspired to create the campaign for the purpose of confusing voters, harming the incumbent’s prospects, and assisting Peltola.
The federal inquiry has focused on potential wire fraud or a conspiracy to deprive Alaska voters of a free and fair elections process, which could constitute a civil rights violation. An investigation does not necessarily lead to criminal charges.
Alaska uses a nonpartisan top-four primary system. All candidates appear on a single primary ballot, and the four highest vote-getters advance to the November general election, which employs ranked-choice voting. Daniel J. Sullivan managed to qualify for the November ballot despite receiving just over 3,000 votes.
