The Alaska ballot for the U.S. Senate race will feature only one candidate named Dan Sullivan after state election officials ruled that a second candidate of the same name was ineligible to run. Dan J. Sullivan, a Republican and former teacher, was removed from the ballot on Monday following a preliminary decision by the state’s director of elections, Carol Beecher.

The controversy arose amid accusations from Republican officials that Democrats had sought to confuse voters by encouraging Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy, potentially siphoning votes from incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan, a fellow Republican. The move was seen by Republicans as an attempt to benefit Democratic candidate Mary Peltola. Both Peltola and Dan J. Sullivan denied any coordination, with Dan J. Sullivan maintaining that his campaign was a bona fide effort to run for office.

Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom initiated an investigation into Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy, leading to Beecher’s preliminary ruling that the petitioner had not provided sufficient evidence to prove the legitimacy of his run. In her ruling, Beecher noted that Dan J. Sullivan’s attempt to appear on the ballot simply as "Dan Sullivan" rather than his full registered name, "Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr.," seemed designed to mislead voters by creating confusion with Senator Dan S. Sullivan. Beecher also cited an instance where Dan J. Sullivan himself appeared confused, having requested to be listed as "Dan S. Sullivan" on the ballot, a middle initial that belongs to the incumbent senator.

Additional factors contributed to the decision. Beecher pointed out that Dan J. Sullivan had changed his party registration to Republican only days before filing to run, and that he had been working with a Democratic consultant with longstanding ties to the party. The similarities in color scheme and theme between his campaign website and that of Senator Sullivan were also cited as indicators of an effort to confuse voters.

Beecher ordered Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy decertified and gave him 30 days to file an appeal. However, with ballots scheduled to be printed by June 28, it remains uncertain whether an appeal could be resolved in time for his name to appear on the ballot.

The incumbent senator’s campaign welcomed the decision, calling it a victory against what they characterized as a "sham candidate" attempting to manipulate the election. Meanwhile, neither Mary Peltola’s campaign nor Dan J. Sullivan immediately responded to requests for comment. Dan J. Sullivan issued a statement affirming that he met all legal qualifications and filing requirements, but expressed frustration that “unsupported accusations” had been accepted and that political forces were trying to exclude him from the ballot.