Both Republican Dan Sullivans can compete in Alaska primary, court rules

Challenger Dan Sullivan had been booted from ballot, but supreme court ruled he can compete against senator of same name

A man with the same name and party affiliation as Senator Dan Sullivan, a Republican, is qualified to run for the seat and ordered election officials to place him on Alaska’s primary ballot in August, the state supreme court ruled Monday.

The ruling came hours after arguments on Monday and just days after state court Judge Thomas Matthews found the division of elections had “abused its discretion” in booting the challenger Sullivan from the ballot. The supreme court, in a brief ruling, affirmed Matthews’ decision but sent back to the division the issue of how the challenger should be listed on the ballot, “within the confines of existing Alaska ballot design law”.

The Alaska supreme court’s decision likely brings to a close a bizarre saga that has enveloped the state’s closely fought Senate election. Republicans argued that the 70-year-old challenger Dan Sullivan only filed his candidacy as an interference tactic against Senator Sullivan, with the party moving to block him from running.

The supreme court’s order was only around a paragraph long. In addition to affirming Sullivan’s candidacy, it directed the division of elections to determine how Sullivan’s name should be listed “within the confines of existing Alaska ballot design law”.

The court declared a full opinion would be issued at a later date.

The ruling overturned a previous decision from Alaska election officials which found Sullivan was acting in bad faith when he filed his candidacy, arguing that he had never previously been affiliated with the Republican party and chose the name “Dan SSullivan” when he was registered to vote as “Daniel J Sullivan, Jr”.

“I conclude that the preponderance of the evidence is that you chose this new nickname and party affiliation because that name and party affiliation happen to be the name and party affiliation of another candidate in the race,” Carol Beecher, the state’s division of elections director, said in her determination.

Beecher also wrote that Sullivan’s website closely resembled the incumbent Sullivan’s campaign site and that he had worked with a Democratic political consultant who supported Senator Sullivan’s leading Democratic opponent, Mary Peltola.

Sullivan is a former teacher who claims that he has long used the nickname “Dan” and denies accusations that his campaign is intended to confuse voters.

Sullivan also denied that he coordinated with Peltola. The Peltola campaign has also denied coordinating with Sullivan.

The Associated Press contributed reporting