A man seeking to challenge U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan has filed suit after the Alaska Division of Elections removed him from this year’s ballot. Daniel J. Sullivan is a retired teacher from Petersburg who filed to run as a Republican.
The Division of Elections determined last week that the non-incumbent Sullivan could not be on the ballot because, as the Division director said, he did not file “in good faith,” and was instead aiming to mislead voters.
Whether the division had the authority to remove the Petersburg Sullivan from the ballot was the subject of a legislative hearing in Anchorage Monday afternoon.
Several attorneys who testified noted that there are three qualifications for someone to serve in the U.S. Senate: they must be 30 years old, be a U.S. citizen for 9 years, and be physically present in the state they seek to represent when the election happens. Citing a legislative attorney, Rep. Andrew Gray, D-Anchorage, who chaired the meeting, said the Division of Elections was adding an additional barrier to running for office.
“If the Division of Elections is looking at his intent and deciding whether it’s good or not, they are adding an additional qualification to appear on that ballot,” Gray said. “Good intent is not a qualification to appear on the ballot.”
Neither state Divisions chief Carol Beecher, nor Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, who oversees the state elections, attended the hearing.
Several lawmakers, like Rep. Mia Costello, R-Anchorage, pointed to a state election regulation that says a candidate’s name cannot appear on a ballot if it is confusing or misleading.
“I think the fact that we’re here today, and this is garnering so much attention in itself, is showing and proving that there is a lot of confusion,” Costello said.
But former Democratic state senator Hollis French testified that the division can easily address any confusion. French is an attorney who in the past chaired the Senate Judiciary committee.
“The Division of Elections has all the power it needs to designate those names in a manner that allows voters to tell the difference,” French said. “It’s not up to the candidate to solve the Division of Election’s problems.”
Options floated by lawmakers included using middle initials for the candidates or labeling Dan S. Sullivan as an incumbent.
Gray said a follow-up hearing is scheduled for July 22 with both Beecher and Dahlstrom so they can explain the division’s decision to remove the non-incumbent Sullivan from the ballot. He said both women have indicated they will attend, and he hopes the lawsuit against the division will be resolved by then.
