Both Republican Dan Sullivans can compete in Alaska primary, court rules | US news
A man with the same name and party affiliation as Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is eligible to run for the seat and ordered election officials to put him on the Alaska primary ballot in August, the state supreme court ruled Monday.
The decision has come After Monday’s debates Just days after state court Judge Thomas Matthews found that the elections division “abused its discretion” in removing challenger Sullivan from the ballot. In a brief ruling, the high court upheld Matthews’ decision but sent back to the division the issue of how the objector should be listed on the ballot “within the limits of existing Alaska ballot design law.”
The Alaska supreme court’s decision will likely put an end to a bizarre saga surrounding the state’s contentious Senate elections. Republicans argued that his rival, 70-year-old Dan Sullivan, had submitted his candidacy solely as an interference tactic against Senator Sullivan, and that the party had moved to block his nomination.
The high court’s decision was only one paragraph long. In addition to confirming Sullivan’s candidacy, he directed the division of the election to determine how Sullivan’s name should be listed “within the limits of existing Alaska ballot design law.”
The court announced that the detailed opinion will be announced at a later date.
The decision overturned a previous decision by Alaska election officials, who argued that Sullivan acted in bad faith in filing his candidacy, had never previously been affiliated with the Republican party, and chose the name “Dan SSullivan” when registering to vote as “Daniel J Sullivan, Jr.”
“I conclude from the preponderance of the evidence that you chose this new nickname and party affiliation because that name and party affiliation was the name and party affiliation of another candidate in the race,” Carol Beecher, the state’s elections division director, said in her finding.
Beecher also wrote that Sullivan’s website was very similar to the incumbent Sullivan’s campaign site and that Senator Sullivan was working with a Democratic political consultant who supported his leading Democratic opponent, Mary Peltola.
Sullivan, a former teacher, claims he has long used the nickname “Dan” and denies accusations that his campaign aims to confuse voters.
Sullivan also denied collaborating with Peltola. The Peltola campaign also denied coordinating with Sullivan.
Associated Press contributed reporting
