In search of the real Dan Sullivan

Alaska’s Senate race has been unsettled by the presence of two candidates named Dan Sullivan. Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan is seeking re-election against Democrat Mary Peltola, while retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. also qualified for the general election after taking about 2.5% of the vote in August’s nonpartisan primary. The senator and his allies say the second Sullivan was recruited to confuse voters and draw support away from him. A New York Times investigation reported evidence that people aligned with Peltola were involved in efforts to recruit a namesake candidate. Peltola says she knew nothing about those efforts, and Daniel J. Sullivan has denied running at Democrats’ behest. The ballot identifies the senator as a Republican incumbent and distinguishes the two men by their middle initials.