GOP Senator sounds alarm over clone candidate who could catapult Dem to red state win

Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan is raising alarms about an 11th-hour Republican challenger who shares his exact name, accusing Democrats of orchestrating a scheme to confuse voters and hand the seat to Democrat Mary Peltola.

Sullivan, speaking exclusively with CNN's Manu Raju on Inside Politics, said the challenger — Dan Jay Sullivan — is not a genuine Republican but a plant designed to split his vote in Alaska's open primary, where the top four finishers advance to November regardless of party.

"They are trying to cheat," Sullivan told Raju. "There is no plausible explanation what this guy is doing."

Sullivan's team says the evidence points directly at Democratic operatives. When the challenger filed, his campaign logo, letterhead, and website were nearly identical to Sullivan's — which the senator has used for 13 years. "I'd say about 98% similar," Sullivan said. "So why would he do that? To confuse Alaskans on who is me or him."

Sullivan's office also conducted a metadata search on the challenger's press release and says it was written by a Democratic consultant whom the New York Times has described in two separate articles as a Peltola supporter. The challenger also has a documented history of donations to Peltola and left-wing causes, Sullivan said.

"He is a liberal progressive," Sullivan said. "He donated to Peltola. His whole purpose of running is to confuse Alaskans."

The challenger did not respond to CNN for comment but told a local paper he is a "pragmatic Republican centrist."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has publicly identified Alaska as a key pickup opportunity for Democrats in the 2026 midterms. Sullivan acknowledged that reality while expressing confidence he would prevail. "I am going to win," he said. "But they are trying to cheat."

Sullivan said the situation will likely end up in court, citing case law holding that candidates do not have the right to run if their primary intent is to confuse voters and rig the outcome in favor of another candidate. "That is exactly what this guy is doing with support from Democrats and a Peltola campaign supporter," he said.