Former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola and incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan are moving forward in the race for Alaska’s Senate seat after the primary election. Peltola had previously won a seat in the House of Representatives, which was unusual for a Democrat in Alaska. Sullivan’s campaign has been complicated by a rival with the same name, who has avoided efforts to remove him from the ballot.
The namesake challenger, Daniel J. Sullivan, has drawn attention and criticism from national Republicans, according to adn.com. President Donald Trump urged Alaskans to support the real Dan Sullivan and not vote for the challenger. Sullivan has said that the situation with the other candidate is a distraction but could help his campaign.
The primary election was the first round of voting that will decide which four candidates advance to the general election. Voters in Alaska approved a new ranked choice voting system in 2020, but a measure to change that system is on this year’s ballot, according to a report from Yahoo News. A similar initiative narrowly failed in the 2024 election, The Hill reported.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has reportedly spent a large sum to support reversing the ranked choice system in Alaska. Sullivan’s campaign has raised a significant amount of money, along with other candidates and groups. The race has also seen involvement from outside political action committees.
In Anchorage, Peltola spoke to volunteers and supporters at a campaign office. Sullivan was seen campaigning on primary election day along the Seward Highway. Preliminary results show that Sullivan received about 5% of the vote in the primary election.
Peltola also received a portion of the vote, though her exact percentage was not yet reported. The open primary system will determine which four candidates move forward to the general election. Sullivan has emphasized his work on restoring Alaska’s fisheries and other policy efforts.
He also referred to a bill he supports as the Alaska Opportunity Act. Sullivan has said that the other candidate’s campaign is an insult to Alaskans. The race continues to attract national attention due to its unique dynamics and outside funding.
IMAGE: Former Alaska state representative Mary Sattler Peltola. Photo: Senator Lisa Murkowski / Wikimedia, taken 2018-06-20, Public domain