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· collected 2026-08-20 · by Hugh Hewitt
analysis
Story summary
Dan S. Sullivan, a Republican senator from Alaska, will face off against Mary Peltola, a former Democratic congresswoman, in the state's Senate election this November. Both candidates advanced to the general election after the primary, which used ranked-choice voting and allowed the top four finishers to move on regardless of party affiliation.
The unusual aspect of this election is that there are two other candidates with the same last name as Senator Sullivan: Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher who ran as a Republican, and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a former employee of the US Forest Service who was listed on the ballot with no party affiliation. The latter candidate had initially sought to confuse voters by filing under his full name, but a court ruled in favor of allowing him to appear on the ballot.
Alaska's top-four primary system and ranked-choice voting have created a unique dynamic, with three candidates sharing the same last name competing against each other. This has led to accusations that Dan J. Sullivan is a "Democratic plant" trying to draw votes away from the incumbent senator and benefit Mary Peltola, who is also running for the seat.
The endorsement of Senator Dan S. Sullivan by Dan A. Sullivan, a former mayor of Anchorage, has added another layer to this complex election. With primary votes still being counted, Peltola leads with 48% of the vote, followed closely by Senator Sullivan at 43%. The outcome of this election is likely to have significant implications for control of the US Senate in the upcoming midterm elections.
Written for “Alaska Senate Primary Results” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 9 other(s) covering the same event.
Alaska U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan moved on to the general election following Tuesday’s primary, handily outpolling — though not eliminating — "dirty trick" Dan Sullivan.
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Sullivan → move → Sullivan
The challenger, a retired federal employee and teacher (of the sort who attends "No Kings" rallies) is suspected by most observers of being a "confusion candidate" meant to siphon votes in Alaska’s open primary, finished third.
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who → attend → primary
Because state rules send the top four vote-getters to the general election, both candidates will appear on the ranked-choice ballot in November.
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candidates → send → November
Why conclude the second Dan Sullivan is a dirty trick candidate, as described by Senator Dan Sullivan and others?
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Sullivan → conclude → Sullivan
According to Alaska election officials, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. initially sought ballot access as "Dan Sullivan," although his voter-registration records identified him as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.
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records → accord → Jr.
The Division of Elections regarded that as evidence that he wanted voters to mistake him for the incumbent.
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voters → regard → incumbent
He also changed his party affiliation to Republican immediately before filing and had never before been registered as a Republican.
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He → change → Republican
"Dirty Trick" Dan Sullivan’s campaign also had connections to a Democratic political consultant, one whose work history included supporting Democrats.
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history → have → Democrats
Alaska election officials actually tried to remove "Dirty Trick" Dan Sullivan from the ballot, but the state Supreme Court ruled he could be on the ballot.
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he → try → ballot
This week, Reuters reported that the United States Department of Justice is investigating the campaign of the second Dan Sullivan and has issued Grand Jury subpoenas as part of a federal probe into what could be shenanigans.
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what → report → probe
Senator Dan Sullivan should be in good shape for the fall runoff as he is a relentless campaigner and a very effective senator who will run hard through the tape in a state President Trump carried by 13% two years ago, and do so with a general election voter turnout expected to more than double Tuesday’s vote.
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Trump → run → vote
Voting numbers from the past year demonstrate that general election turnout can and does soar over the August primary totals, even in mid-term elections.
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turnout → demonstrate → elections
The current statewide count in Tuesday’s primary was around 109,000 ballots when this column filed, and the final number should rise as absentee ballots are counted.
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ballots → file → primary
In the 2024 general, 340,981 Alaskans voted after 108,906 voted in the primary.
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108,906 → vote → primary
In the 2022 general, 267,047 voted after roughly 190,000 participated.
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190,000 → vote → general
That year, the Senate and gubernatorial races generated unusually high primary interest.
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races → generate → interest
Much attention focused on the suspected dirty trick in recent weeks on the second Dan Sullivan and that focus will continue through the fall.
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focus → focus → fall
The Alaskans I know are completely up to speed on the suspected bluff and the general electorate should decide on the merits, though the ranked choice rules are never well understood, even by long-term Alaskans.
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rules → know → Alaskans
Senator Sullivan is a patriot and well known to his fellow Alaskans.
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Sullivan → know → Alaskans
Senator Sullivan joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1993, serving on active duty and subsequently in the Marine Corps Reserve, retiring with the rank of colonel.
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Sullivan → join → colonel
Senator Sullivan’s service included a short-term deployment in Afghanistan as a reservist, (he remained in the Marine Corps Reserve for many years while pursuing his civilian career) and his extended active-duty deployment was from 2004-06, with substantial time in the Middle East, Horn of Africa and Central Asia.
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deployment → include → Africa
His military background has strongly influenced his Senate work, particularly on defense, Arctic security and veterans’ issues.
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background → influence → defense
Senator Sullivan attended Harvard College and Georgetown University Law School, clerked for federal and state judges and worked as an attorney in Alaska before joining President George W. Bush’s administration, Security Council staff, before becoming W’s Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs, serving in that job from 2006 to 2009.
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Sullivan → attend → 2009
Senator Sullivan then served as Alaska’s Natural Resource Commissioner and as its Attorney General before successfully running for the Senate in 2014.
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Sullivan → serve → 2014
At 61, Sullivan has entered his prime as a senator with the sort of Senate seniority that allows him to serve Alaska’s citizenry very well.
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him → enter → citizenry
Alaska’s most important economic issues — oil and gas development, mining, federal lands, resource management and Arctic development as well as the U.S. military presence in the Arctic state — depend on their Senate duo having the clout that comes with seniority.
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that → depend → seniority
Sullivan, along with Senator Lisa Murkowski, have that.
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Sullivan → have → that
Senator Dan Sullivan will be on the November ballot with a ballot designation "Republican incumbent," backed by a major campaign effort across every media platform with a seasoned GOTV team turning out every voter.
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team → back → voter
Alaskans who know the stakes for their state, and they know too the deep downside for the Alaska economy when Democrats control the upper chamber in D.C.
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Democrats → know → D.C.
They won’t get fooled by a faux Senate candidate working the weird rule set up north.
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They → fool → rule
Hugh Hewitt is a Fox News contributor and host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show" heard weekday afternoons from 3 PM to 6 PM ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel.
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Hewitt → hear → Channel
Hugh drives Americans home on the East Coast and to lunch on the West Coast on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen.
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SNC → drive → platforms
He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel’s news roundtable, hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET.
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He → host → ET
A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law.
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he → teach → Law
Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990.
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Hewitt → launch → 1990
Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle.
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Hewitt → appear → cycle
Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians.
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Hewitt → focus → Constitution
Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcasting.
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Hewitt → interview → broadcasting
This column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.
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that → preview → show
