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Anchorage voters question fears over two Dan Sullivans on ballot

USA TODAY's early-voting interviews add a local perspective to a dispute that has reached the courts ahead of the midterms.

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USA TODAY Story of November 1, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of USA TODAY's most watched videos since yesterday, with 162,576 views.

Alaska voters react to Dan Sullivan ballot saga days ahead of midterm elections

Things we can learn from the video

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0:04Moises Beas says the state Supreme Court has already settled whether the two candidates can run.
0:58Ames Tonnesen invokes Lisa Murkowski's write-in campaign to argue Alaskans can distinguish the candidates.
1:48Carol Riggs says the controversy risks obscuring the issues for some voters.
3:06Emma Riley says her vote was unaffected and points to the ballot's incumbent designation.

Outside an Anchorage early-voting location, the people interviewed by USA TODAY describe a ballot they say they can understand, despite the controversy surrounding two Senate candidates named Dan Sullivan.

Mickey Buster says he knew which candidate was which. Teacher Emma Riley points to the incumbent designation beside the sitting senator's name and says the dispute did not affect her vote. Their interviews accompany footage of voters waiting in line, receiving ballots and collecting "I Voted" stickers on October 30.

According to USA TODAY's account, Alaska's Supreme Court ruled in June that both the Republican incumbent and a retired teacher with the same name could remain on the ballot. The outlet reports that the Justice Department subsequently filed a lawsuit seeking to block certification of results potentially affected by voter confusion while an investigation proceeds. The Senate seat could help determine control of the chamber, the report notes.

The interviews do not establish how every Alaskan views the dispute. But they offer a direct response from voters confronting the ballot itself, rather than predictions about how others might interpret it.

Teacher Ames Tonnesen reaches for an Alaska election memory: "I think if Alaskan voters can learn how to spell Lisa Murkowski to write her in, I think we'll be able to keep two Dan Sullivans straight."

The video has drawn about 163,000 views since yesterday. Another teacher, Carol Riggs, offers a less amused assessment: the controversy disappoints her because political conflict can muddy the issues for voters.