One of the most closely watched races of the 2026 midterm elections is beginning to take shape after voters delivered the first major decisions Tuesday night.
The result sets up a November contest that could attract enormous national attention as Republicans and Democrats battle for control of the United States Senate.
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Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola advanced from Alaska’s unusual open primary Tuesday and will face each other in November’s four-way general election.
Sixteen candidates appeared together on the primary ballot regardless of political affiliation, with the top four finishers advancing to the general election under Alaska’s election system.
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The identities of the other two candidates advancing had not yet been called, leaving open the possibility of an unusual complication involving another candidate who shares the incumbent senator’s name.
Republicans have accused Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher from Petersburg, of entering the contest to confuse voters and potentially siphon support away from Sen. Dan S. Sullivan.
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Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. has rejected those accusations and maintained that his candidacy is legitimate.
The controversy has taken on greater significance because Alaska has emerged as a potentially important battleground in the fight for control of the Senate.
Sen. Sullivan is seeking a third term in a state President Donald Trump carried by more than 13 percentage points during the 2024 presidential election.
The Republican incumbent has raised more than $11 million and reported having more than $7 million available at the end of July.
Democrats, however, believe Peltola’s previous statewide success and history of breaking with her party could make the race considerably more competitive than Alaska’s presidential results might suggest.
Peltola represented Alaska’s at-large House district from 2022 until 2025 after becoming the first Alaska Native woman elected to Congress in a special election following the death of longtime Republican Rep. Don Young.
During her time in Congress, Peltola sometimes broke with Democrats on issues including energy development and border enforcement, and she is campaigning for Senate with an emphasis on Alaska’s fishing and energy industries.
Peltola has also demonstrated significant fundraising strength, bringing in more than $18 million and reporting more than $4.6 million in cash on hand at the end of July.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., recruited Peltola for the Senate contest after Democrats concluded that the former congresswoman offered them a strong opportunity to challenge Sullivan.
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski previously endorsed Peltola during her 2022 and 2024 House campaigns but has endorsed Sullivan in this year’s Senate contest.
Money is already pouring into the contest, with more than $56 million spent on advertising connected to the Senate race, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact.
But the second Dan Sullivan has added an extraordinary wrinkle to what was already expected to be an expensive campaign.
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Sen. Sullivan accused Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. of being a Democratic plant after the retired teacher entered the race in June, pointing to his lack of a background in Republican politics and reported connections to people who previously supported Democratic candidates.
Republicans unsuccessfully attempted to have Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. removed from the ballot, arguing that his candidacy was undertaken in bad faith.
Peltola has denied having any connection to Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.’s campaign.
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The controversy has now reportedly attracted federal scrutiny, with NBC News reporting Tuesday that a grand jury issued subpoenas as investigators examine whether Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.’s candidacy was legitimate.
An attorney who represented Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. during the earlier ballot dispute said his client had not received a subpoena and that the attorney was unaware of a federal investigation involving him, The Washington Post reported.
Election officials attempted to distinguish the similarly named candidates on Tuesday’s ballot by identifying Dan S. Sullivan as the Republican incumbent while listing his opponent as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. without a party affiliation.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
