A rather amusing scenario has sprouted from Alaska’s Republican Primary, as a retired teacher named Dan J. Sullivan entered the race, challenging incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan, who is up for re-election this November.
This unusual match-up poses some interesting, tongue-twisting dilemmas for voters. While Dan J. Sullivan insists he’s completely genuine about representing Alaskan constituents, Dan S. Sullivan is not amused by Dan J.’s candidacy. He accused the second Sullivan of being a Democratic plant, stealing his campaign’s logo, and deliberately confusing voters with ballots that would look very similar, due to their nearly identical names.
The state is conducting an investigation into some of these claims while incumbent Dan S. Sullivan is considering a lawsuit. He launched a humorous campaign ad urging voters to “avoid Dan Sullivan, and vote for Dan Sullivan.”
State election officials have made an effort to emphasize the candidates’ middle initials, which are luckily different. Curiously, there is another prominent Dan Sullivan in local Alaskan politics: Dan A. Sullivan, the former Mayor of Anchorage, which is Alaska’s largest city. Thankfully, he is sitting out this election cycle.
