By The mystery surrounding Alaska’s Senate race deepened this week after Daniel J. Sullivan, an independent candidate whose name closely resembles that of Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, reportedly left his hometown just days before Election Day.
According to CBS News, the retired elementary school teacher departed Petersburg, Alaska, earlier this week, with his current whereabouts unknown. A former student reported seeing Sullivan aboard a flight to Anchorage on Monday, two days before The New York Times exposed an alleged Democratic effort to recruit candidates who could siphon votes away from the Republican senator.
The timing has raised new questions about a candidacy already facing potentially-criminal accusations of being little more than an election trick designed to confuse voters.
CBS News reporters visiting Petersburg, a fishing community of approximately 3,000 residents accessible only by air or sea, found little evidence that Sullivan was running a serious campaign. Dozens of residents said they had never received campaign literature or seen signs, mailers, or other materials promoting his candidacy.
“I don’t think it’s a serious candidacy,” said Petersburg fisherman Andrew Worhatch. “I haven’t seen a platform.”
Not everyone in town shares that skepticism. Keely Hankins, a longtime acquaintance, defended Sullivan’s character and insisted voters should have no trouble distinguishing between the two candidates.
“I’ve known Dan for a long time. I know his family. I know he’s raised good children, and he’s always been a really great role model for his students,” Hankins said. “If you intend to vote and intentionally vote, you know who you’re going to vote for, and it says ‘Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr.,’ then it says ‘Dan Sullivan, incumbent.’ Just read the paper. It’s not that hard.”
Another resident was less forgiving, calling it “embarrassing to think that we, a small fishing village, have such a hoaxer.”
The controversy erupted Wednesday when The New York Times reported that operatives connected to Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign had spent months attempting to manipulate the composition of Alaska’s Senate ballot.
The effort, reportedly known internally as the “ballot composition project,” involved identifying and encouraging candidates who might draw support away from the Republican incumbent. A particular priority was finding another Alaska resident named Dan Sullivan.
Daniel J. Sullivan eventually entered the race, creating an unusual ballot featuring two candidates with nearly identical names.
The strategy could prove consequential in one of the country’s most competitive Senate contests. Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, and the presence of similarly named candidates creates an opportunity for confusion.
In August’s primary, Peltola finished first with 49.5 percent of the vote, compared with 41.4 percent for the Republican incumbent. Daniel J. Sullivan received 2.5 percent.
That seemingly small share could matter in a close general election.
The controversy goes beyond the coincidence of two candidates sharing a name. According to CBS News, election officials initially removed Daniel J. Sullivan from the ballot after questioning conduct that could confuse voters, including an attempt to appear as “Dan S. Sullivan.”
A court subsequently reinstated his candidacy, ruling that state officials lacked authority to determine whether someone was running in “good faith.”
Peltola has denied involvement in the recruitment effort, telling supporters she “knew nothing about any other candidates on the ballot except for me and the incumbent” and is “not interested in tricking voters.” Her campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have also denied involvement.
Daniel J. Sullivan has maintained that he entered the race independently and had no contact with Peltola’s campaign.
Nevertheless, the revelations have prompted investigations at both the state and federal levels. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation into whether the alleged recruitment scheme violated Alaska election law, while the Justice Department has expanded a criminal probe. No charges have been filed.
Federal officials have also filed a civil lawsuit seeking to prevent certification of the election results if the Republican incumbent loses because of “voter confusion.”
The episode presents an uncomfortable contradiction for Democrats, who have spent years portraying themselves as defenders of democracy while warning that Republicans threaten the integrity of American elections.
Now, operatives aligned with their own party stand accused of attempting to exploit Alaska’s election rules by placing a similarly named candidate on the ballot, potentially misleading voters in a race that could determine control of the Senate.
Whether the alleged scheme violated election law remains under investigation. But there’s certainly plenty of smoke now.
With Election Day approaching Tuesday, the whereabouts of the other Dan Sullivan remain unknown, his campaign remains largely invisible, and Alaska voters are left to sort through a ballot controversy that has become a national political scandal.
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