Voters in Alaska are participating in a Senate election that features two candidates with nearly identical names competing under the state's ranked choice voting system. The race for the seat currently held by Sen. Dan S. Sullivan (R-AK) has drawn scrutiny due to the presence of Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher, on the same ballot. The outcome of the contest is expected to be a factor in determining which party controls the U.S. Senate.
Alaska transitioned to its current election model after voters approved a 2020 ballot initiative. The system utilizes a top-four nonpartisan primary where all candidates appear on a single ballot regardless of party affiliation. The four candidates who receive the most votes advance to the general election, where winners are determined through ranked choice tabulation. This method was first used in 2022 during a special election and subsequent general election for the state's at-large House seat.
In the August nonpartisan primary for this Senate seat, Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) received 49.5% of the vote, followed by incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan at 41.4%. Daniel J. Sullivan received 2.5%, and Republican Gerald Heikes also advanced to the general election. To differentiate the two Sullivans on the general election ballot, state officials listed the incumbent as "Sullivan, Dan S. (Registered Republican) Incumbent," while the challenger has no party identifier or title listed next to his name.
The presence of the second Sullivan prompted a legal challenge during the summer, but the Alaska Supreme Court ruled he could remain on the ballot. More recently, the Trump administration filed a lawsuit to block the certification of results if Sen. Dan S. Sullivan loses, citing potential voter confusion. A federal judge dismissed that lawsuit on Sunday, ruling the federal government lacked the legal right to sue, though the Justice Department stated it will appeal. Additionally, the New York Times reported on an alleged effort by Peltola-aligned operatives to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan as a "spoiler" candidate, an allegation Peltola has denied.
The scale of the impact involves the entire Alaskan electorate. In previous applications of this system in 2022, Mary Peltola won the House seat after trailing in initial counts but gaining a majority in the second round with 55% of the vote. Because Alaska accepts mail-in ballots up to 15 days after the election and does not begin ranked choice tabulation until all ballots are in, residents and candidates will likely face a delay of several weeks before a winner is declared. State officials have set a target date of November 25 to certify the results.
For the average Alaskan voter, the immediate change is the complexity of the ballot. While a 2025 study in Political Behavior found that 4.8% of ranked choice ballots are improperly marked, Alaska's Division of Elections allows voters to rank as many or as few of the four candidates as they prefer. If a voter makes a mistake, such as skipping two or more rankings in a row, only the rankings before the skip will count. The final certification will clarify the state's representation in Washington and set a precedent for how the federal government can or cannot intervene in state-run election procedures involving similar candidate names.