The Alaska Supreme Court on Monday ruled that a candidate with the same name and party affiliation as Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is qualified to run for the Senate seat, overturning a state elections official’s decision to disqualify him.
The court’s brief order came hours after oral arguments and days after Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews found the Division of Elections had “abused its discretion” in booting the challenger, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., from the ballot, according to The Guardian. The high court affirmed Matthews’ decision but sent the question of how the challenger should be listed on the ballot back to the Division of Elections, directing officials to determine the listing “within the confines of existing Alaska ballot design law.” The court said a full opinion would be issued later.
The ruling likely brings to a close a dispute that has consumed the closely fought Alaska Senate race since the challenger filed to run. The 70-year-old Sullivan, a former teacher, denies accusations that his campaign is intended to confuse voters, according to the report. He has said he has long used the nickname “Dan” and denied coordinating with Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, the incumbent senator’s leading Democratic opponent. The Peltola campaign has also denied coordinating with Sullivan.
Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher had disqualified the challenger, writing in her determination that “the preponderance of the evidence” showed that Sullivan chose his nickname and party affiliation “because that name and party affiliation happen to be the name and party affiliation of another candidate in the race.” Beecher also noted that Sullivan’s campaign website closely resembled the incumbent’s and that he had worked with a Democratic political consultant who supported Peltola. MSI previously reported that the Alaska Division of Elections director had given the challenger a Thursday deadline to respond after her office received two complaints, and later disqualified him, citing insufficient evidence of his eligibility.
Alaska Republicans had argued that the challenger only filed his candidacy as an interference tactic against Senator Sullivan, and the party moved to block him from running.