Alaska’s Supreme Court issued a ruling Monday ordering state elections officials to place a man who shares the exact name and party affiliation of Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan on the August primary ballot.
The high court’s decision came just hours after oral arguments and only days after state court Judge Thomas Matthews determined that the Division of Elections had “abused its discretion” when it removed the challenger from the ballot. The Supreme Court affirmed Matthews’ ruling in a brief order, though it sent the question of how the challenger should appear on the ballot back to the division, directing it to work “within the confines of existing Alaska ballot design law.” A full written opinion explaining the court’s reasoning is expected to be released at a later date.
The division’s director, Carol Beecher, had issued a decision on June 15 concluding that the challenger’s candidacy was not filed in good faith and was instead intended to confuse voters. However, Judge Matthews found that Beecher’s determination was not grounded in the constitutional requirements for U.S. Senate candidates — which cover age, citizenship, and residency — nor was it based on any applicable state laws or regulations.
The situation began roughly a month ago when the challenger filed his candidacy, setting off a chain of events that has shaken up one of the most competitive Senate races in the nation. Alaska’s contest is among approximately a half dozen Senate races this election cycle considered close enough to potentially shift control of the chamber during President Donald Trump’s final two years in office.
The filing drew sharp criticism from the incumbent senator and his political allies, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, who accused the challenger of being a sham candidate trying to create chaos. Those accusations led Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, who oversees the state’s elections, to launch an investigation into the challenger’s candidacy.
