A top Alaska elections official has ruled that a U.S. Senate candidate with the same name and party affiliation as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan is ineligible to appear on the state’s August primary ballot. Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher concluded that the challenger’s declaration of candidacy was not filed in good faith, but rather to confuse or mislead voters.

Background

The challenger, also named Dan Sullivan, had filed to run in the primary, sparking allegations from Republicans that he was a ‘sham’ candidate working with Democrats to boost the chances of Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola. Both the challenger and Peltola’s campaign have denied these allegations.

Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom had announced an investigation into the challenger’s run, citing ‘credible allegations’ that he declared his candidacy in coordination with another candidate and campaign with the intent to confuse and ‘manipulate’ voters. The challenger has maintained that he has done nothing wrong and has been weighing a run for years, calling the shared name with the incumbent a ‘matter of fate’.

Sen. Sullivan’s campaign manager, Billy Mackey, lauded the decision, saying it upholds the right to ‘a free and fair election.’ The incumbent senator is seeking a third term, and Peltola is also a high-profile candidate in the crowded race.

Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.