Second Dan Sullivan Eligible for Ballot in Alaska Senate Race, Judge Rules

A judge has ruled that a man with the same name and party affiliation as Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is eligible to challenge the incumbent in the August primary. Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews overturned a decision by the Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher, who had disqualified the challenger, Dan J. Sullivan, from the primary ballot.

The judge found that the division's decision to exclude the challenger based on a "good faith" criterion was not supported by the Constitution, Alaska law, or the division's own regulations. The ruling stated that the division applied a "new, previously unstated, 'good faith' criteria." The state Department of Law has indicated it will appeal the decision to the Alaska Supreme Court, as Tuesday is the deadline for a final ruling to allow for ballot printing for the Aug. 18 primary.

This legal battle over the two Dan Sullivans highlights the high stakes of the incumbent senator's reelection campaign. The Alaska race is considered one of a handful of highly competitive U.S. Senate contests expected in the fall, with Democrats aiming to flip the seat. The incumbent senator and his allies have accused the challenger of coordinating with Democrats to confuse voters and potentially aid the campaign of Democratic rival Mary Peltola. Both Peltola's campaign and state Democrats have denied these allegations, as has the challenger.

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Instead, the decision was based upon a new, previously unstated, 'good faith' criteria.