Dan Sullivan

Dan J. Sullivan is a retired teacher from Petersburg, Alaska, who shares his name with the incumbent senator and placed third in the August 2026 primary with 2.5%. The Alaska Division of Elections removed him from the primary ballot over allegations he entered the race to confuse voters; he denied this, and the Alaska Supreme Court ruled on June 29, 2026 that he must remain on the ballot. He told Alaska Public Media he is running because of dissatisfaction with the incumbent and cited affordable housing, health care access and cost of living as his issues.[1][2][3]

Dan J. Sullivan is a retired teacher who lives in Petersburg, Alaska, where he told Alaska Public Media he has lived for decades. He also spent 15 years working for the U.S. Forest Service, according to the same report.[2][3] He was originally a member of the Alaska Independence Party and, after it dissolved in 2025, joined the Republican Party. He appeared on the primary ballot as "Daniel J. Sullivan Jr." without a party designation, and Ballotpedia lists him as having no party affiliation.[1][3]

In June 2026 the Alaska Division of Elections removed Sullivan from the primary ballot after Republicans, including the incumbent, alleged he was running dishonestly. He denied the accusation and sued, and the Alaska Supreme Court ruled on June 29, 2026 that he could appear on the ballot.[2][3] He says he supports Alaska's ranked-choice and open-primary system and told Alaska Public Media he wants to appeal to Republican voters critical of the Trump administration.[3]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.