A political dispute is brewing in Alaska after Sen. Dan Sullivan’s reelection campaign accused Democrats and one of his rivals of backing a second candidate with the exact same first and last name in an effort to confuse voters ahead of next year’s election.

The allegations were made Tuesday by Sullivan campaign spokesman Nate Adams, who claimed that Democratic operatives and former congresswoman Mary Peltola were behind the entry of another Dan Sullivan into the Senate race.

“Mary Peltola and D.C. Democrats know they can’t win this race on the issues, so they’ve resorted to dirty, dishonest tactics — recruiting a sham candidate with the sole purpose of deceiving voters and manipulating Alaska’s election system,” Nate Adams, the senator’s campaign spokesman, said in a statement Tuesday.

Peltola, who represented Alaska in the U.S. House from 2023 until 2025, is widely viewed as the leading Democrat seeking the Senate seat currently held by Sullivan, who is running for a third term.

Adams argued that the presence of another candidate with the same name could undermine the integrity of the election and create confusion among voters.

“This blatant attempt to confuse and disenfranchise Alaskans undermines confidence in our elections, and if allowed to stand, will deny voters the honest choice they deserve,” Adams added.

The campaign also signaled that it may pursue legal or other remedies in response to the situation.

He also warned, “We are reviewing all of our options and aren’t ruling anything out.”

The newly announced challenger entered the race last week. The second Dan Sullivan has described himself as a cancer survivor and elementary school teacher and has criticized the incumbent’s record in office.

According to the challenger, the senator sharing his name “has failed to put Alaska first.”

State election records indicate that the challenger is also registered as a Republican. Observers have noted similarities between the branding of the two campaigns, with both using logos featuring stars and a color scheme built around navy blue, white, and yellow.

The unusual situation has created confusion because there is also a third well-known Alaska political figure named Dan Sullivan — the mayor of Anchorage. The most obvious distinction between the two Senate candidates is their middle initials: the incumbent is Dan S. Sullivan, while the challenger is Dan J. Sullivan.

Alaska’s election system allows all candidates to compete in a single primary, with the top four finishers advancing to the general election regardless of party affiliation. Voters are scheduled to cast ballots in the primary on August 18.

Peltola’s campaign swiftly rejected any suggestion that it played a role in recruiting or encouraging the second Sullivan to run.

A spokesperson for Peltola’s campaign, Harry Child, denied that the campaign is involved “with either Sullivan campaign.”

Neither the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee nor the campaign of Dan J. Sullivan immediately provided responses to requests for comment regarding the allegations.