Democrats could benefit from a GOP wild card in Alaska’s U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday.
Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan is seeking a third term and a challenge from former Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat.
But Mr. Sullivan will also have to defeat a curiously named GOP opponent – Dan J. Sullivan Jr.
In Alaska’s primary system, the top four candidates advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. This could create a confusing situation — and an edge for Ms. Peltola — if two Republicans named Dan Sullivans are on the November ballot.
If they both advance to the general election, the two Sullivans could potentially split the Republican vote in what is already a hotly contested Senate race.
The other Mr. Sullivan, a retired teacher, says he is not trying to confuse voters and just has the same name as the incumbent.
“I have every right to stand up and do this,” he told the Petersburg Pilot, an Alaska newspaper, in June, noting that his father and grandfather shared the name.
“I chose Republican because I wanted to take it to the senator,” the challenger, who describes himself as a centrist, told the Chicago Tribune.
He also said the Republican Party does not “have to be the party of Donald Trump.”
The incumbent Mr. Sullivan has accused his GOP challenger of attempting to sabotage his reelection campaign so Democrats can triumph in Alaska, a win that would go a long way toward giving Democrats control of the Senate.
“His whole purpose of running is to confuse Alaskans … so they can rig the vote in favor of Mary Peltola,” he said recently, pointing to his challenger’s donations to Democratic candidates, including Ms. Peltola.
The senator also accused him of imitating his logo and website design.
The Peltola campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have denied meddling, and Dan J. Sullivan has denied being in contact with Democrats.
Alaska’s Division of Elections initially removed the challenger’s name from the ballot, arguing he was not a good-faith candidate.
In July, the Alaska Supreme Court ordered that his name be restored.
Seeking to avoid confusion, election officials listed the incumbent’s name on the ballot as “Sullivan, Dan S,” with “incumbent” and “Republican” specified below his name. The challenger will appear as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.” with no party affiliation or other fine print underneath his name.
On the eve of the primary, Mr. Trump made clear which Sullivan he supports.
“The Crooked, Radical Left Dumocrats have put up another man named ’Dan Sullivan,’ and they did this to take Votes away from our Great Senator of the same name,” he wrote on social media, attaching an image of the Alaska sample ballot with a Democratic donkey symbol next to the challenger’s name.
Nate Adams, a spokesman for the senator’s campaign, told The Washington Times in a statement that “regardless of who else advances to the general election, this is a race between Senator Dan Sullivan … and Mary Peltola.”
