Democrat Strategist Wrapped Up In Plot To Confuse Voters By Running Candidate With Same Name As GOP Incumbent

Democratic strategist Amber Lee authored a press release announcing the candidacy of Dan J. Sullivan, a candidate running against Republican Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, campaign metadata reviewed by the Daily Caller News Foundation showed.

The metadata for Sullivan’s press release lists Lee, who has publicly supported Democratic Alaska Senate candidate Mary Peltola, as the author. Notably, the inclusion of two Dan Sullivans on the ballot could cause confusion for voters.

Amber Lee listed as author of press release
[Screenshot/Daily Caller News Foundation]

The other Sullivan’s campaign announcement, appearing to be written by Lee, stated that he intended to run against the incumbent senator because he had “failed to put Alaska first.” The release also accused the incumbent Sullivan of focusing on himself rather than his constituents. “For too long, Senator Sullivan has failed to put Alaska first,” the release said. “When you truly care about a people and a place, you have a duty to make every sacrifice within your power to protect them. That’s why I’m running.”

Lee expressed her support for Peltola when she entered the race. She told The Hill in January that she believed there was a good chance Peltola could defeat Sullivan. In March 2025, Lee said she hoped Peltola would run for governor because she believed the Democrat would be best able to “protect” the state from President Donald Trump’s administration.

“It’s the first time since Sullivan took office that he’s really facing a real challenger,” Lee said. “It’s going to be a hard race, but … I believe there’s a real chance for her to win this.”

Peltola’s campaign told the DCNF that they have “no involvement with either Sullivan campaign.” Lee and Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign did not respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.

When asked about her alleged involvement in the other Sullivan’s campaign, Lee told The Anchorage Daily News that she was “not commenting.”

The other Sullivan donated $650 to Democrats nationwide, including Peltola and Illinois candidate Kat Abughazaleh, according to Federal Elections Commission (FEC) records. Peltola visited the other Sullivan’s hometown, Petersburg, on May 28, days before he filed to launch his candidacy, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

In a statement to the DCNF, Sullivan’s campaign spokesperson Nate Adams accused Peltola and other Democrats of resorting to “dirty, dishonest tactics” to deceive Alaska voters. The campaign is currently reviewing all legal options on the matter.

“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,” Adams told the DCNF. “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. We are reviewing all of our legal options and aren’t ruling anything out.”

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) sent a letter to Carol Beecher, the Alaska lieutenant governor and division of elections, arguing that the other Sullivan must be removed from the ballot to protect election integrity laws.

“Mary Peltola and Chuck Schumer are resorting to deceitful tricks because they know they can’t beat Dan Sullivan on his record. But Alaskans are smarter than Peltola thinks, and their scheme isn’t going to work,” NRSC regional press secretary Nick Puglia told the DCNF.

The incumbent senator faces a tight race against Peltola, who was leading the race in the latest polls as of Monday. An Alaska Survey Research poll from May 26 found Peltola with a five-point lead, 48.4% to 43.8%. She raked in nearly $8.7 million directly to her campaign account over the first quarter of the year, while Sullivan raised $1.7 million directly to his account. She had approximately $5.7 million in cash on hand after spending nearly $3 million during that same period on campaign expenses.

Sullivan had over $7 million in his war chest at the start of April, giving him a financial advantage in cash on hand over Peltola.

Alaska has a ranked-choice voting system and can have multiple candidates from both parties on the ballot, prompting Democrats to eye Alaska as a potential win despite it being a deep red state. Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski defeated Trump-backed candidate Kelly Tshibaka in 2022, despite her previous vote to remove Trump from office over the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot in February 2021.