Alaska Supreme Court Orders 2nd Dan Sullivan Onto Senate Ballot as State Weighs Labeling Fix
Updated
Updated · Alaska Public Media News · Jun 30
Alaska Supreme Court Orders 2nd Dan Sullivan Onto Senate Ballot as State Weighs Labeling Fix
3 articles · Updated · Alaska Public Media News · Jun 30
Summary
A roughly 100-word order issued Monday sent Dan J. Sullivan back onto Alaska’s U.S. Senate ballot and returned the case to the Division of Elections to decide how his name will appear.
Justices signaled in oral arguments that removing him was too drastic, with Chief Justice Susan Carney calling disqualification “the most extreme remedy possible” when middle initials or other distinctions could reduce confusion.
The division had argued the retired teacher from Petersburg was trying to mislead voters by sharing incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan’s name and Republican affiliation, and pointed to his mistaken email identifying himself as “Dan S. Sullivan.”
How the ballot lists the challenger is now the next fight: the state says initials alone are insufficient and proposed “Sullivan, Daniel James Jr. (Nonpartisan),” while his lawyer says officials cannot alter his party label.
Ballot timing adds urgency because Alaska election officials said preparation must begin Tuesday at noon, in a race drawing national attention as Senate control could hinge on close contests.