Alaska blocks namesake Senate candidate over ballot confusion concerns

Alaska’s Division of Elections ruled that Dan J. Sullivan, the namesake challenger to Sen. Dan Sullivan, cannot appear on the Aug. 18 Republican primary ballot, finding his declaration of candidacy was meant to confuse voters rather than reflect a good-faith bid. The decision cites name similarity to the incumbent, inconsistent party affiliation records, and a consultant with Democratic ties; the ruling is final but can be challenged in court as ballots are set to print (June 28). The NRSC and state GOP urged exclusion, while the incumbent campaign praised the outcome.