Dan Sullivan vs. Dan Sullivan: GOP blasts clone candidate as lookalike enters Alaska Senate race
Alaska's ranked choice voting system greatly increases the influence of candidates who may not be a voter's first choice
By Leo Briceno Fox News
Published May 29, 2026 8:36pm EDT
FIRST ON FOX: A Democratic strategist has deployed a candidate look-alike that Republicans fear may act as a decoy and create confusion around their real nominee.
Campaign material metadata reveals that Amber Lee, a progressive consultant, authored a press release announcing the Senate bid for a second "Dan Sullivan" — a figure Republican strategists say has nothing to do with incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska.
"Mary Peltola and Chuck Schumer know they can’t beat Senator Sullivan on his record, so they’re resorting to deceitful political maneuvers that attempt to trick Alaskans and buy a seat," National Republican Senate Committee Spokesperson Nick Puglia told Fox News Digital.
Although Republicans have months to clarify the situation to voters before the state’s primary in August, the filing shows efforts to create confusion to sway a high-stakes Senate race.
The campaign website leans into the name overlap.
"Dan Sullivan challenges Dan Sullivan for U.S. Senate Seat, urges Alaskans to defeat incumbent, elect a Sullivan who stands up for Alaska," it reads.
According to his biography, this second Sullivan spent his early career working blue-collar jobs like logging, construction, bartending and forestry, but decided to enter his bid for Senate after growing frustrated with government mismanagement.
"Over time, he became increasingly frustrated with what he saw as federal inefficiency and a lack of long-term thinking in government," the biography reads.
The campaign's Instagram page has no posts and just two followers.
The campaign did not immediately respond to questions if Sullivan had been asked to run, whether the campaign had made filings with the FEC, or if he intends to run as an independent.
Both Sullivans will appear in Alaska’s open primary system, where the top four candidates advance to the general election.
If selected among them, the second Sullivan may appear on the ballot in November — a development that could prove especially confusing to Alaska’s many rural communities.
Despite the comedic nature of the thinly-veiled ploy, the filing is especially relevant in Alaska — one of only two states that have implemented ranked choice voting. The system allows voters to select multiple candidates in order of preference.
Under this model, voters can still apply their vote to a second, sometimes even a third option if their first choice is eliminated from contention.
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