Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom issued a final determination Monday that Dan J. Sullivan of Petersburg can’t be on the ballot to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan.
“On review of the complaints and other information in the Division’s possession, I conclude that your declaration of candidacy was not properly filed with the Division because it was not filed in order to declare an actual good-faith candidacy for the office of United States Senator, but was instead filed with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality,” Dahlstrom said in a letter to the retired teacher.
She cited many of the reasons listed in complaints filed by the state Republican Party and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Dahlstrom noted that the Petersburg man only changed his voter registration to Republican just before he filed to run.
“You requested to access the ballot under the name ‘Dan Sullivan’ even though it appears from Division records that you have never registered to vote or sought ballot access under this name. Our records indicate that you are registered to vote under the name ‘Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr.’” she wrote.
Dahlstrom said the challenger appeared intent on confusing himself with Sen. Sullivan.
“Indeed, you yourself appeared to be confused when you initially emailed the Division asking to be listed on the ballot as ‘Dan S. Sullivan.’‘S’ is Senator Sullivan’s middle initial, not yours.” she wrote.
Sullivan of Petersburg said by text Monday that he’s considering his options. He also said the email Dahlstrom referred to, with the mistaken middle initial, contained a typo “and not mine.” He did not say who wrote it.
The senator’s campaign celebrated the finding.
“Every Alaskan has the right to a free and fair election, free from deception and gamesmanship,” campaign manager Billy Mackey said in an emailed press release.
“Dan Sullivan” is how the incumbent senator appeared on the ballot each time he’s run. Dahlstrom’s letter doesn’t mention that Sen. Sullivan hasn’t gone by that name in all settings. The senator is registered to vote as “Daniel Scott Sullivan.”
The Alaska chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is "closely monitoring" the case, said the group's executive director, Mara Kimmel.
Election integrity is critical to keeping democratic institutions functioning, she said.
"Fair elections, as part of democratic institutions, require that all votes that are cast are counted, and all candidates who are eligible to run for office can do so," Kimmel said.
Americans who meet the eligibility requirements of state and federal law, such as age and citizenship, have a constitutional right to run for office, she said.
The ACLU has not been in contact with Dan Sullivan of Petersburg, she said.
The would-be candidate has 30 days to file an appeal in state court, but Dahlstrom warned that he actually has less time than that because ballots are printed June 28.
This story has been amended to add comments from the ACLU of Alaska.
