Tipsheet

Alaska's Democratic 'Decoy' Senate Candidate's Son's Suspicious Ties Just Got Exposed

Jeff Charles
Jeff Charles  |  June 09, 2026 1:13 PM

Democrats must be quite terrified about the upcoming midterm elections if they are resorting to this type of trickery to win Alaska’s Senate race. They have mounted what appears to be a deliberate effort to influence the outcome of the election by trying to trick voters into supporting a decoy candidate who shares the same name as the Republican incumbent.

The alleged plan centers on a challenger with deep ties to Democratic operatives linked to former Rep. Mary Peltola.

Dan J. Sullivan, a 69-year-old retired middle school teacher filed to run as a Republican for the race just before the May deadline. The GOP incumbent is named Dan Scott Sullivan He had previously been listed as “undeclared” on state voter rolls and just recently changed his registration after the Alaskan Independence Party dissolved, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

The timing of his announcement has raised more than a few eyebrows. KFSK reported that shortly before his announcement, Peltola reportedly visited Petersburg, where the alleged decoy lives.

The filing prompted Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom’s office to launch an investigation into whether Decoy Dan submitted his candidacy in good faith, or whether this was part of a plot to trick voters. “Serious allegations have been raised concerning this filing in the race for U.S. Senate, and the people of Alaska deserve a thorough and transparent investigation to ensure that the election is carried out properly and without deception,” the office stated.

The alleged decoy defended his right to run, telling the Anchorage Daily News, “I have done nothing that should prevent me from running in this race. I filed correctly. I paid my fees. I’m not quite sure what the stink is, but I guess I’ll find out.”

Despite running as a Republican, Decoy Dan’s political record shows years upon years of support for Democratic candidates, according to The Wall Street Journal. Federal Election Commission records cited by the National Republican Senatorial Committee exposed more than 15 years of donations to Democratic candidates — including Mary Peltola’s 2022 and 2024 campaigns. He has also given money to the Alaska Democratic Party, ActBlue, and others. 

But that’s not all.

The alleged decoy also worked with Democratic consultant Amber Lee, who is a Peltola supporter, to launch his campaign. The consultant received thousands of dollars from a super PAC that spent millions to get Peltola elected.

Some observed that Decoy Dan’s campaign website and logo are very similar to the incumbent’s branding.

Sen. Sullivan called out Democrats for the obvious scam. “His whole purpose of running is to confuse Alaskans, to make them think – Alaskan voters – that somehow he’s me, so they could rig the vote in favor of Mary Peltola,” he said in an interview with CNN. “This is just corruption. They’re trying to cheat. I mean, there’s no plausible explanation.”

The alleged decoy’s family also has strong connections to Democratic politics. His son, Noah Casey Sullivan, remains registered as a Democrat and works as a field representative in Democratic Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez’s (WA-03) office.

The most recent polling reveals just why confusing voters could swing the election in Peltola’s favor. Alaska Survey Research published the findings of a poll that showed Peltola leading Sen. Sullivan 48 percent to 44 percent with eight percent undecided or supporting another candidate. If the scheme manages to siphon off only a few votes from the incumbent, it could hand the race to Peltola.