Apparently, I'm one of the few guys in Alaska not named Dan Sullivan.
I've often said (because it's true) that Alaska politics are a little weird. Case in point: Our incumbent Senator, Dan Sullivan, is contending not only against Democrat Mary Peltola in his reelection bid, but also another Dan Sullivan, who switched his voter registration to Republican about 48 seconds before filing his candidacy paperwork.
Now, things just got more complex, as another Dan Sullivan has entered the chat. This one, a former mayor of Anchorage, is endorsing the incumbent Dan Sullivan over the challenger Dan Sullivan.
Yeah, Alaska politics are a little weird, and now they just got weirder.
NEWS — Former Anchorage Mayor Dan A. Sullivan has endorsed Alaska Sen. Dan S. Sullivan for re-election this fall over teacher Dan J. Sullivan and former Rep. Mary Peltola, according to a post on his Facebook page.
— VoteHub (@VoteHub) August 23, 2026
As an Alaskan, I feel it's my duty to take this nest of snakes and lay them all out straight.
First: Dan S. Sullivan is our current junior Senator, a long-standing Republican, who is seeking reelection. He has a lifetime 75 percent rating from the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC), and that's not bad, especially when you put him up against Democrat Mary Peltola. Dan S. Sullivan came through Alaska's jungle primary handily and will be on the four-place (idiotic) ranked-choice ballot in November.
Second: Dan J. Sullivan is a retired school teacher from Petersburg, a small town in southeast Alaska south of Juneau. His prior affiliation is unclear, but he is said to have switched to Republican a heartbeat before filing his candidacy papers. The Juneau area and nearby parts of southeast Alaska are a Democratic stronghold, although Petersburg was, in the 2024 election, on the edge of where the panhandle turns red again. The state House district 02, where Petersburg is, in 2024 cast almost 60 percent of its votes for President Trump. He narrowly squeaked by in his bid to make the four-place (idiotic) ranked choice ballot in November.
Third: Dan A. Sullivan, also a Republican and for a rather longer time, is the former mayor of Anchorage and served on the Anchorage Assembly from 1999 to 2008. In 2016, he announced a run against Senator Lisa Murkowski (?-AK) but withdrew from that race with little or no explanation. If he had won, Alaska would very likely now have two Republican senators named Dan Sullivan, which would certainly have made press conferences entertaining. Imagine the shouted questions:
Q: Mr. Sullivan!
A: Which one?
Q: Senator Sullivan!
A: Which one?
Q: Senator Dan Sullivan?
A: WHICH ONE?
Anyway. This is the Dan Sullivan who has now officially endorsed Dan Sullivan over Dan Sullivan. He is the only Dan Sullivan that will not be on our four-place (idiotic) ranked-choice ballot in November.
It's also not clear what, if any, familial relationships exist between any of these Dan Sullivans. Or would that be Dans Sullivan? It's all very confusing.
It didn't take long for the jokesters to emerge, and why not? We've certainly given them enough to work with.
Beginning to suspect that 95% of the Alaskan population is named Dan Sullivan https://t.co/So64GX2EWz
— Enguerrand VII de Coucy (@ingelramdecoucy) August 23, 2026
Maybe not 95 percent. But boy howdy, there are a lot of Dan Sullivans around lately.
If you are, like me, an Alaskan and voting in this November's election, make sure you can keep your Dan Sullivans straight. At least only two of them will be on the ballot; we'll take our small favors where we can find them. Also, my fellow Alaskans, just to make things more entertaining, is there any chance we might scrounge up two or three more Mary Peltolas?
And, once more, as I'm fond of pointing out, you don't have to be a little bit crazy to live in Alaska, but it sure doesn't hurt.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
Help RedState continue to report on the Democrats’ radicalism and inform voters as our nation faces a crossroads. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member