Alaska Senate race’s absurd name problem gets even harder to untangle

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Former Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan is taking sides in Alaska’s unusual same-name Senate fight, endorsing incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan over a third Dan Sullivan whose candidacy has already triggered legal challenges and allegations of an effort to confuse voters.

The intervention from Dan A. Sullivan adds another twist to a potentially competitive race in which Sen. Dan S. Sullivan and his Republican allies have accused teacher Dan J. Sullivan of running as a GOP candidate to siphon votes from the incumbent. Dan J. Sullivan has denied those accusations and says he is a legitimate moderate Republican challenger.

“As the OG Dan Sullivan, I urge Alaskans to vote for Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. He’s been great for Alaska,” the former mayor wrote on social media.

DAN SULLIVAN ACCUSES SAME-NAME CHALLENGER OF TRYING TO ‘RIG’ ALASKA SENATE RACE

Former Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan, teacher Dan Sullivan and Sen. Dan Sullivan.

Republicans have attempted to use legal mechanisms to remove Dan J. Sullivan, who is himself running as a Republican, from the ballot. They point to the fact that he has worked with a Democratic-aligned consultant as evidence that he is part of a liberal plot to mislead voters.

Dan J. Sullivan has defended himself from the accusations by arguing that he is genuinely a moderate Republican that has real dissatisfactions with Dan S. Sullivan’s representation of the state.

It is unclear how many Dan Sullivans live in Alaska.

Alaska has a unique electoral system, something Republicans have argued could further contribute to confusion when voters head to the polls in November.

GOP SENATOR, EX-HOUSE DEM EMERGE FROM ALASKA’S ‘JUNGLE PRIMARY’ DESPITE FAR-LEFT MEDDLING

Dan Sullivan posing for a photo in Petersburg, Alaska.

The state holds a nonpartisan primary where the top four vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of their party affiliation. Once the four candidates are chosen and Election Day arrives, Alaskans use ranked-choice voting.

Under the system, voters rank candidates in order of preference. When their first choice is eliminated, their support passes to their next choice and so on until one candidate is victorious.

Advocates of the system argue that it gives voters greater control over who ultimately wins office as well as more options to choose from. Critics, meanwhile, argue the system could cause confusion in November.

Dan S. Sullivan and Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola have advanced to the general election, though it is unclear whether Dan J. Sullivan will join them as votes are still being counted, according to the Associated Press.

JUDGE RULES REPUBLICAN WITH SAME NAME AS SEN DAN SULLIVAN CAN STAY ON ALASKA PRIMARY BALLOT

Following a Republican legal challenge, the Alaska Supreme Court held last month that Dan J. Sullivan could remain on the ballot after he was initially removed by the state’s Division of Elections. Now, federal and state prosecutors are reportedly investigating whether he is part of a conspiracy to confuse voters.

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The Sullivan campaign did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Monday.

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