Alaskans voted on Tuesday, November 3, in a US Senate race unlike any other on the ballot: two men named Dan Sullivan were standing, alongside former congresswoman Mary Peltola, in a contest that could help decide control of the Senate. Days before polling day, FBI agents had begun knocking on the doors of donors to the second Sullivan, asking whether they knew which candidate their money had gone to.
The investigation, confirmed by Alaska US Attorney Michael Heyman on October 30, has been running for several months, according to federal officials. It gained a sharp increase in resources after a New York Times report on October 28 alleged that people connected to Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee had helped recruit the second Sullivan as a spoiler candidate. Peltola and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. both deny that allegation, and no criminal charges have been announced against anyone.
What the FBI asked donors
According to Associated Press reporting, an Anchorage-based FBI agent visited a boat dealership in Petersburg, the small fishing community reachable only by air or water where Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. lives, and left a business card for donor Charles Flint. Flint, who gave $500 over the summer, told the AP he had known the retired teacher and musician for years, felt no deception, and did not intend to return the agent’s call. He said he plans to rank Peltola first and Daniel J. Sullivan second.
In Sitka, two agents conducted a brief doorstep interview lasting about five minutes, asking another donor whether the contribution had gone to the Sullivan the donor meant to support. In Groton, Massachusetts, donor Pat Campbell told the AP that agents visited her home on October 30 and said they were investigating fraud in election contributions; she told them she and her husband knew exactly whom they had supported. Another donor, Anna Holmes, told the AP she and her husband gave $500 and were questioned at home on October 30 about whether they had meant to contribute to the senator’s campaign.
The AP reported that agents were interviewing about a dozen contributors. Reuters, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that the Justice Department had issued more than 40 subpoenas and document-preservation requests involving the campaigns of Daniel J. Sullivan and Peltola. Heyman told reporters in Anchorage that investigators were not assuming a crime had occurred, and he did not disclose the potential crimes under investigation or identify any targets.
Two Sullivans, one ballot
The ballot distinguishes the candidates, but only narrowly. The incumbent appears as Dan S. Sullivan, Republican and incumbent. The challenger appears as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., with no party affiliation. Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, under which voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than choosing just one.
Republicans argue the shared name could lead some of the senator’s supporters to mark the wrong Sullivan. President Donald Trump has called the situation voter fraud at the highest level. Peltola has pushed back directly, telling volunteers: “I know I can beat Dan Sullivan. I do not need any help winning this race.” Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. has defended his candidacy, saying he is running under his own name and has a legitimate reason to seek the seat.
The second Sullivan’s path to the ballot has already been litigated. Alaska election officials removed him earlier this year, but the Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that they had overstepped and put him back on. The state Division of Elections opened an investigation into his candidacy in June, and Governor Mike Dunleavy has separately ordered a state investigation into whether the alleged recruitment effort violated election laws.
The separate court fight over certification
In a separate civil case, the Justice Department filed a complaint on October 22 alleging Daniel J. Sullivan’s candidacy was intended to mislead voters, and on October 30 it sought a court order to preserve and segregate ballots ranking him, so investigators could examine whether voters confused the two candidates. That is a different step from the criminal probe into donors, though both concern the same name overlap.
On Sunday, November 1, US District Judge Sharon L. Gleason dismissed the department’s lawsuit seeking to block certification of the Senate result if the incumbent loses, saying the department had not explained how stopping certification could address its alleged harm while protecting voters’ secret choices. The department has appealed. Emadan previously reported the department’s request to segregate Alaska ballots in this race.
Why this race matters, and what is not yet proven
Alaska is one of the closest Senate battlegrounds in the 2026 midterms. A New York Times/Siena poll of 610 likely voters, conducted October 23-30, put Peltola ahead 48% to 46%, within the margin of error of plus or minus 4.8 percentage points. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority, so a flip in Alaska would matter to the battle for control, though it would not by itself decide it.
What remains unproven is central to this story and must not be overstated. Investigators have not publicly established that the alleged recruitment effort constituted a crime, and the recruitment allegation itself rests on the Times report and remains denied by both Peltola and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. Donors who have spoken publicly say they were not confused. The FBI’s donor interviews show an investigation widening before an election, not a conclusion about what happened.
What happens next
Polls closed in Alaska after voting on Tuesday, with results to follow under the state’s ranked-choice system. The Justice Department’s appeal in the certification case continues separately, and the criminal investigation remains open. Any charges, if they ever come, would be a new development; until then, the two-Sullivan ballot remains a fact of this election, not a verdict on it.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the two Dan Sullivans? Republican incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan, seeking re-election, and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher and musician from Petersburg running as an undeclared candidate.
Has anyone been charged? No. As of October 31, no criminal charges had been announced in connection with the probe, and the US Attorney said investigators were not assuming a crime had occurred.
How does the ballot tell them apart? The incumbent is listed as Dan S. Sullivan, Republican and incumbent; the challenger is listed as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., with no party affiliation. Voters rank candidates under Alaska’s ranked-choice system.
Sources
Associated Press reporting, via EconoTimes: https://econotimes.com/FBI-Questions-Donors-in-Alaska-Race-With-Two-Sullivan-Candidates-1768470
International Business Times (Reuters subpoena reporting): https://www.ibtimes.sg/two-dan-sullivans-one-senate-race-fbi-investigates-alleged-spoiler-candidate-scheme-alaska-95778
Cronista (judge dismissal, polling, denials): https://www.cronista.com/en/today/clone-candidate-a-second-dan-sullivan-on-alaskas-ballot-could-cost-republicans-the-senate-and-the-fbi-is-already-knocking-on-doors/
US Journal (AP-based FBI expansion report): http://usjournal.news/fbi-investigation-alaska-senate-race-dan-sullivan/
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