Another Dan Sullivan from Alaska has apparently entered the U.S. Senate race to challenge the Republican incumbent of the same name.
Republicans say it’s a “trick” whipped up by former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat and the top challenger to U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan.
A spokesperson for Peltola declined to speak on the record about the second Sullivan’s entry into the race.
A statement emailed to reporters said that Dan Sullivan from Petersburg in Southeast Alaska, who has had careers in teaching and with the U.S. Forest Service, filed his candidacy for one of Alaska’s U.S. Senate seats on Friday.
“I know firsthand the challenges everyday Alaskans face, and I know that Ohio Dan doesn’t get it — he was born on third base and thinks he hit a home run. It’s time for Alaska to elect a Sullivan that’s on their side,” the Petersburg Sullivan said in the emailed press release, referring to the state where the current senator was born and raised.
The challenger did not respond to requests for comment on Friday, including those sent by email to an address in the statement.
There are several questions about the challenger’s campaign.
Alaska Division of Elections records showed Friday afternoon that Dan J. Sullivan, a Republican from Petersburg, is among the more than a dozen U.S. Senate candidates who filed the necessary paperwork to appear on the Aug. 18 primary ballot.
However, records with the Federal Elections Commission on Friday showed no evidence that a second Dan Sullivan had filed to run in the race.
The footer in Petersburg Sullivan’s emailed statement and a website say they are paid for by “Sullivan for Alaska.”
But there is no such committee registered with the Federal Elections Commission.
The Facebook and Instagram page associated with the campaign say they were paid for by “Sullivan for Senate.”
A committee by that name was last active in 1996, FEC records show.
Peltola was in Petersburg meeting with voters Tuesday.
An official with the National Republican Senatorial Committee said the effort was orchestrated in part by Peltola.
“Mary Peltola and Chuck Schumer know they can’t beat Senator Sullivan on his record, so they’re resorting to deceitful political maneuvers that attempt to trick Alaskans and buy a seat,” said Nick Puglia, regional press secretary for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Asked if the Peltola campaign was “involved in asking, encouraging or soliciting” Petersburg Sullivan to run, Peltola campaign spokesperson Harry Child said, “no.”
The metadata for the press release on Petersburg Sullivan’s entry to the race indicated it was written by someone by the name of “Amber Lee.”
Amber Lee, an Alaska political strategist, has worked for a variety of campaigns in recent years and backed Peltola in the past. Asked if she was involved in Petersburg Sullivan’s apparent entry into the Senate race, Lee said in a text message that she is “not commenting.”
Nate Adams, spokesperson for Sullivan’s campaign, also declined to comment.
The statement for the second Sullivan candidacy did not name a party affiliation for the Sullivan from Petersburg.
Public record databases indicate that a Daniel J. Sullivan lives in Petersburg. Alaska voter records show a Daniel J. Sullivan with an undeclared party affiliation from there. A Dan Sullivan also served on the community’s Public Safety Advisory Board.
A 2013 Daily News article quoted a Dan Sullivan who taught fifth graders in Petersburg, in a story about the confusion that year for Alaskans named Dan Sullivan.
At the time, two Dan Sullivans were running for separate offices, the now-former Anchorage mayor and the soon-to-be Sen. Dan Sullivan, whose middle name is Scott.
Current records show there are nine Daniel Sullivans registered to vote in Alaska.
If there are to be two Dan Sullivans in the same race on the ballot, state law has a plan for that.
The candidates’ middle initials will be listed.
