Two candidates, one name

Alaska's Senate race features incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan and retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a different person with a nearly identical name running as a Republican.

DOJ sues at Trump's request

On October twenty-second, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit at President Trump's behest arguing the state should not certify results if the incumbent loses to Democrat Mary Peltola by fewer votes than Daniel J.

Times reports recruitment scheme

On October twenty-eighth, the New York Times reported that operatives aligned with Mary Peltola helped recruit Daniel J. Sullivan and others to run for Senate to siphon votes from the incumbent.

Trump calls it voter fraud

Trump called the situation voter fraud at the highest level and said Peltola should resign and be prosecuted criminally for what she did.

“voter fraud at the highest level”

Peltola denies involvement

On October twenty-ninth, Democrat Mary Peltola denied any knowledge of or participation in recruiting another Dan Sullivan to run in the race.

“I knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent.”

Governor orders investigation

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, ordered a criminal investigation to determine if any Alaska criminal laws were violated by the recruitment scheme.

The primary challenge begins

After Daniel J. Sullivan declared his candidacy in late May, the incumbent objected, saying he was a sham candidate designed to confuse Alaskan voters.

“His whole purpose of running is to confuse Alaskans”

State opens investigation

On June eighth, Alaska Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom announced the state had opened an investigation into the legitimacy of Daniel J. Sullivan's campaign.

Sullivan denies coordination

Daniel J. Sullivan responded that the allegations were entirely false and he was running as a Republican under his lawfully given name shared with his father and grandfather.

“I am running for U.S. Senate as a Republican under my lawfully given name”

Elections director blocks him

On June fifteenth, Carol Beecher, director of the Division of Elections, concluded Daniel J. Sullivan's bid was not a good-faith candidacy but was filed to confuse or mislead voters.

Court overturns the ban

On June twenty-seventh, Alaska Superior Court Judge Thomas A. Matthews overturned the decision, saying the good-faith requirement did not appear in the Constitution, Alaska Statutes, or implementing regulations.

Supreme Court affirms ruling

The state Supreme Court affirmed the ruling, with justices suggesting the Division of Elections could differentiate candidates using middle initials instead of removing him from the ballot.

Primary results on August eighteen

Daniel J.Sullivan appeared on the August eighteenth primary ballot among sixteen candidates.Top four finishers were Mary Peltola at forty-nine point fifty-four percent, Dan S.Sullivan at forty-one point four percent, Daniel J.Sullivan Jr.

How ranked choice voting works

Alaska uses ranked choice voting in general elections. If no candidate gets more than fifty percent of votes initially, the last place finisher is eliminated and their votes go to voters' second choices until someone…

Experts doubt DOJ will win

Harvard Law School professor Nicholas Stephanopoulos said the DOJ lawsuit has zero legal merit and is one of the weakest lawsuits he can remember seeing, misapplying a voter registration law to ballot design.

“has zero legal merit and is one of the weakest lawsuits that I can ever remember seeing”

Election experts cite precedent

The University of Washington's Election Rumor Research team noted that ballot-stacking with similarly named candidates has happened before, including two Bob Fergusons in a two thousand twenty-four Washington gubernatorial race.

Practice is unsavory but legal

Election experts say ballot-stacking is unsavory but generally not illegal, though schemes involving improper payments to ghost candidates have violated laws in some cases.

Election day approaches

With less than a week until November third, the race remains extraordinarily close according to polling, with the Cook Political Report rating it a toss-up.