Ex-Mayor Dan Sullivan Endorses Dan Sullivan Over Namesake

Republican critics have dubbed the challenger "Decoy Dan" and accused him of being a Democratic plant using his name to confuse voters. He told the New York Times he voted for the Democratic candidate in the past three presidential elections but insists he is a moderate Republican. His campaign, which has leaned on his background as a logger, did not immediately respond to a request for comment reported by Fox News.

Alaska state Sen. James Kaufman, a Republican, said the confusion is real. "I've had at least one person say they had to slow down to make sure they didn't make a mistake. And I can only imagine people who are less engaged in politics — I think it can be confusing," he said.

Randy Ruedrich, who chaired the Alaska Republican Party from 2000 to 2013, pointed to the vote math. Rep. Nick Begich drew 60,061 votes in his own primary — "slightly less Republican votes than these three Republicans together," he said, referring to Sen. Sullivan, the challenger and veteran Gerald Heikes. "There is some obvious crossover."

Ruedrich said Alaska has been here before, recalling that in 2022 little-known Buzz Kelly advanced to a general election after voters confused him with Republican Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka, who was campaigning on her first name.