To the GOP, he's a sham candidate. At home, he's Mr. Sullivan, ex-teacher and Alaska Senate hopeful
On Independence Day, as second-term Republican Dan Sullivan and his chief rival in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race Democrat Mary Peltola headlined parades, the other Dan Sullivan seeking the seat was happily on the sidelines of festivities in this small fishing community he long has called home.
He blended in as well as one can in a town where everyone knows just about everyone else. He was not campaigning. “I didn’t want to turn it into something that was about me rather than about the celebration,” he said.
This Sullivan — Dan. J — has been an unconventional candidate from the start. He drew intense, immediate blowback for having the same name and party affiliation as the senator — Dan. S. — in a race that could help decide control of the Senate in November. The incumbent and GOP allies accused the same-named challenger in the Aug. 18 primary of being a sham candidate working with Democrats to sow confusion and help Peltola. Dan. J. Sullivan and the Peltola campaign have denied that claim.
A top state elections official booted Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot. The Alaska Supreme Court later ordered that he be included.
Petersburg, where the challenger has lived for decades, is an island community of about 3,000 people in southeast Alaska that is accessible only by air or water. Many longtime residents find it hard to believe claims that their Dan Sullivan, a retired elementary and middle school teacher, is a dirty trickster.
“You really have to do a lot of mental gymnastics to suddenly not respect Dan Sullivan, because he’s honestly a very stand-up human being,” said Orin Pierson, publisher of the Petersburg Pilot newspaper.
https://apnews.com/article/alaska-senate-dan-sullivan-petersburg-republicans-388a4e7f2baf7cbeec53fdf6b7a234d6
They see dirty tricks in their dreams