Dan J. Sullivan (R) – Alaska Senate 2026

About

Dan J. Sullivan Jr. is a retired teacher and former U.S. Forest Service forestry technician from Petersburg, Alaska, who shares a name with the Republican incumbent senator but is not related to him. He filed to run as a Republican, and after the Alaska Division of Elections sought to remove him from the ballot, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled in 2026 that he could appear; he finished third in the August 18 top-four primary with about 2.5% and advanced to the November general election. He emphasizes affordable housing, access to healthcare, lowering the cost of living, sustainable resource development, and preserving Alaska's open primaries and ranked-choice voting.

Biography sources 12

Positions on Key Issues

Positions of Dan J. Sullivan on key issues
Issue	Stance	Sources
Local Issues	Sullivan has identified affordable housing, access to healthcare, and the cost of living as issues he sees in Petersburg, and he has said his experience in a small community taught him the value of collaboration and compromise. On fisheries, he said bycatch limits should be strictly enforced, seafloor habitat degradation minimized, and federal fisheries monitoring programs fully funded and staffed.	U.S. Senator \| Voter Guide: 2026 General Election - Alaska Beacon Petersburg's Dan J. Sullivan will be on the ballot for U.S. Senate. What are his policies? - Alaska Public Media
Healthcare	Sullivan identifies housing and healthcare as immediate needs affecting his community, but available candidate questionnaires do not specify a federal healthcare policy or proposed solution.	U.S. Senator \| Voter Guide: 2026 General Election - Alaska Beacon Alaska Congress U.S. Senate Seat \| Voter Guide: 2026 Voter Guide
Economy	Sullivan has described keeping taxes low as part of the business-oriented values he was raised with, and he said tariffs can be useful when narrowly targeted toward specific goals but criticized broad tariffs for raising prices. He has emphasized lowering the cost of living.	Petersburg's Dan J. Sullivan will be on the ballot for U.S. Senate. What are his policies? - Alaska Public Media
Climate/Energy	Sullivan has not stated a specific climate-change policy. He describes a preference for sustainable resource development that balances Alaskans' short-term economic needs with the long-term health of the land.	U.S. Senator \| Voter Guide: 2026 General Election - Alaska Beacon
Foreign Policy	In an Alaska Beacon voter guide, Sullivan said the war with Iran was "ill-conceived and poorly planned" and that he does not support it. This statement expresses his position on the Iran conflict but does not establish a broader foreign-policy platform.	U.S. Senator \| Voter Guide: 2026 General Election - Alaska Beacon
Education	Sullivan says education is primarily a state responsibility but calls it an important investment in the future, citing his more than 20 years as a teacher.	U.S. Senator \| Voter Guide: 2026 General Election - Alaska Beacon
Election Policy	Sullivan said there is an extremely low level of voter fraud in Alaska and nationally and that voting should be made easier, not harder. He said he would oppose the SAVE Act because Congress should not interfere with states' administration of elections, and he supports Alaska's open primary and ranked-choice voting system.	U.S. Senator \| Voter Guide: 2026 General Election - Alaska Beacon Petersburg's Dan J. Sullivan will be on the ballot for U.S. Senate. What are his policies? - Alaska Public Media

Review an issue

Local Issues

Sullivan has identified affordable housing, access to healthcare, and the cost of living as issues he sees in Petersburg, and he has said his experience in a small community taught him the value of collaboration and compromise. On fisheries, he said bycatch limits should be strictly enforced, seafloor habitat degradation minimized, and federal fisheries monitoring programs fully funded and staffed.

Sources:

U.S. Senator | Voter Guide: 2026 General Election - Alaska Beacon

Petersburg's Dan J. Sullivan will be on the ballot for U.S. Senate. What are his policies? - Alaska Public Media

Choose another issue above to review the remaining researched positions.

No public position found: Abortion & Reproductive Health, Immigration, Firearms & Second Amendment, Civil Rights & Equality, Tech & AI

Background

Career History

Public school teacher

Petersburg, Alaska public schools

Retired after more than 20 years as a public school teacher.

Forestry technician

U.S. Forest Service

Worked about 13-15 years as a forestry technician; also worked in carpentry, timber cutting, concrete work, and as a steel mill laborer.

Member, Public Safety Advisory Board 2021 – 2022

City of Petersburg, Alaska

Served on the city's Public Safety Advisory Board.

Top Donors

Reported minimal campaign finance activity: FEC filings for his committee (Daniel J. Sullivan for Senate, C00956326) show total receipts of $18,835 for the May 29–July 29, 2026 period, consisting of $8,435 in individual contributions and $10,400 in candidate loans, with $8,400 cash on hand. He reported no significant fundraising of his own during the primary. A separate super PAC, Fair Deal Alaska, spent heavily promoting other candidates rather than him, and a national group later filed an FEC complaint alleging improper coordination with the 907 Initiative.

Sources

SULLIVAN, DANIEL J – Candidate overview – FEC Peltola raises millions more than Sullivan – Anchorage Daily News National group files federal complaint against US Senate candidate Dan J. Sullivan – Alaska Beacon

Voting Record

Has not held legislative office, so there is no legislative voting record. He is a retired elementary school teacher and former U.S. Forest Service forestry technician from Petersburg, Alaska, who served on the city of Petersburg's Public Safety Advisory Board from December 2021 to October 2022. His campaign has emphasized housing affordability, healthcare and fuel costs, sustainable resource development, and stricter enforcement of bycatch limits.

Sources

View full voting record U.S. Senator | Voter Guide: 2026 General Election – Alaska Beacon 2026 United States Senate election in Alaska – Wikipedia Alaska Senate race has 2 Dan Sullivans, drawing incumbent's ire

About this research

Data compiled from public sources and analyzed using AI. Last updated October 10, 2026. Visit candidate websites for the most current information.