A judge in Alaska has ruled that a Republican with the same name as U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan can stay on the primary ballot. The decision overturns a previous ruling by the Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher, who had disqualified the second Sullivan from the ballot.
Background
The second Sullivan, a retired teacher who recently changed his party affiliation to the GOP, was accused by Beecher of not launching his campaign in good faith and seeking to confuse or mislead voters. However, Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews ruled that Beecher didn’t follow the Constitution, Alaska law, or the division’s own regulations when deciding to disqualify Sullivan.
The Republican senator is seeking a third term in the state, and Democrats are hoping that former Rep. Mary Peltola will unseat him in November. The Division of Elections plans to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court, with a deadline for a final ruling on Tuesday so that ballots for the August 18 primary can be printed on time.
Sen. Sullivan has previously stated that he believes the second Sullivan is a Democrat plant, and that his primary purpose is not to win the election but to confuse Alaskans and rig the vote for his opponent. The name confusion could prove particularly consequential in Alaska, given its ranked-choice voting system.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
