A top Alaska elections official has threatened to disqualify a U.S. Senate candidate who shares the same name as incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan. Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher sent a letter to challenger Dan Sullivan, giving him a Thursday deadline to submit any additional information and evidence in response to complaints regarding his eligibility.
Background
Sullivan, the challenger, has caused a stir in one of the most prominent U.S. Senate races in the country. Incumbent Sen. Sullivan has accused his namesake challenger of working with Democrats to try to trick voters and boost the chances of his top opponent, former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, a claim both deny.
The challenger, who lives in the small fishing community of Petersburg south of Juneau, told The Associated Press earlier this week that the decision to run was his choice. He said he had no contact with the Peltola campaign and called the investigation into his candidacy an unprecedented affront to his rights as a candidate and the rights of Alaska voters to select their own representation in the U.S. Senate.
Investigation
Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom announced that she was opening an investigation into the challenger’s candidacy, demanding that he explain his party affiliation, how long he had been going by the name Dan Sullivan, his affiliation with a consultant, and any interactions he might have had with other candidates in the race or the Democratic Party.
Some attorneys have raised questions about Dahlstrom’s investigation, which they say starts infringing on free speech concerns and other protections under the Constitution. The ACLU of Alaska said it is monitoring the situation.
The Constitution requires senators to be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least nine years, and live in the state they’ve chosen to represent at the time of election. Sullivan, who will turn 69 this weekend, told the AP he moved to Alaska in 1980 and worked for the U.S. Forest Service before switching careers and becoming a teacher. He’s now retired.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
