A top Alaska elections official on Monday ruled that a candidate with the same name as Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) is ineligible to appear on the ballot. “I notified you that based on a review of the evidence presented and in the Division’s possession, the Division has determined that the preponderance of evidence does not support your eligibility for the office of United States Senator. Pursuant to 6 AAC 25.260, I offered you the opportunity to submit additional information and evidence to respond to these complaints and support your eligibility by 5:00 p.m., June 11, 2026. You did not submit additional information and evidence to respond to the complaints. It is my final determination under 6 AAC 25.260 that the preponderance of the evidence does not support your eligibility for the office of United States Senator,” Carol Beecher, director of the Governor’s Division of Elections, wrote in a letter to candidate Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr. “On review of the complaints and other information in the Division’s possession, I conclude that your declaration of candidacy was not properly filed with the Division because it was not filed in order to declare an actual good-faith candidacy for the office of United States Senator, but was instead filed with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality,” the letter continued. A candidate for Senate in Alaska with the same name as Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is not eligible to appear on the ballot in the state's primary, an Alaska election official determined on Monday, citing a "determined effort and a deliberate attempt" to confuse Alaska voters.… — CBS News (@CBSNews) June 15, 2026 More from the Associated Press: It’s been a whirlwind chain of events in one of the nation’s most prominent U.S. Senate races, one both parties consider crucial to controlling the chamber. The kerfuffle was set off by the challenger Sullivan filing days before the June 1 candidate deadline. Sen. Sullivan and Republicans called him a “sham” candidate and alleged he was working with Democrats to boost Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola’s chances in the race. Both the challenger Sullivan and Peltola’s campaign have denied the allegation. According to prior reports, Sen. Dan Sullivan threatened legal action against challenger Dan Sullivan, accusing him of copying his campaign logo. U.S. Senate Race – Dan Sullivan Threatens Legal Action Against Dan Sullivan "You requested to access the ballot under the name 'Dan Sullivan' even though it appears from Division records that you have never registered to vote or sought ballot access under this name. Our records indicate that you are registered to vote under the name 'Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr.' That you chose the occasion of your declaration of candidacy for U.S. Senate to seek ballot access under a name you have not used in your interactions with the Division suggests—and in combination with the additional facts I outline in this letter leads me to conclude—that you are seeking to confuse yourself with another candidate in the race, the incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan, rather than distinguish yourself from him. Indeed, you yourself appeared to be confused when you initially emailed the Division asking to be listed on the ballot as 'Dan S. Sullivan.' 'S' is Senator Sullivan’s middle initial, not yours," the letter read. "You requested to be designated on the ballot as affiliated with the Republican Party. Until two days before you filed your declaration of candidacy, you had never—according to the Division’s records—been affiliated with the Republican Party in Alaska. Of course, under Alaska law, you are free to change your party affiliation. This said, that you chose to change your affiliation to the same political party—one you’d never affiliated with before—as the incumbent Senator immediately before filing a declaration of candidacy in which you asked to access the ballot under the same name – in a shortened form you’d never used before - as the incumbent Senator strongly suggests an intent to confuse yourself with the incumbent Senator rather than to distinguish yourself from him," it continued. NBC News shared further: Beecher also noted that his campaign website uses a format and color scheme very similar to the site belonging to the senator and that he has admitted working with a political consultant who’s “a known longtime supporter of Democratic candidates.” The campaign for the disqualified Sullivan didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. In a Facebook post Sunday, he wrote: “Should every American be allowed to run for any political office if they are qualified? Should a candidate’s chances of winning an election disqualify them from trying? Should a person’s given name be a qualifier to be on a ballot? To me it’s not complicated. I met the qualification and I entered this race because I am unhappy with the 12 year record of the current Senator and I feel we need a change.” He has 30 days to appeal the decision, though ballots are being printed June 28, Beecher said. Sen. Sullivan’s re-election campaign celebrated his challenger’s disqualification in a statement Monday. “Every Alaskan has the right to a free and fair election, free from deception and gamesmanship,” said campaign manager Bill Mackey. Read the full letter HERE.