Dan Sullivan could be kicked out of Alaska Senate primary — but not that Dan Sullivan

A top Alaska elections official has threatened to disqualify from the state’s August primary a U.S. Senate candidate who shares the same name and party affiliation as incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan. Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher in a letter to challenger Dan Sullivan said her office had received two complaints regarding his eligibility and determined “that the preponderance of evidence does not support your eligibility for the office of United States Senator.” She gave him a Thursday deadline to submit “any additional information and evidence” in response. Sullivan, the challenger, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment about the letter from Beecher, a registered Republican who in the past has donated to Republican groups and campaigns. Her letter, dated Wednesday and published by the Anchorage Daily News, did not specify the evidence it found to potentially remove him from the primary ballot, and her office did not respond to requests for comment. Sullivan’s candidacy has caused a stir in one of the most prominent U.S. Senate races in the country. It’s a seat Democrats have targeted as they try to regain the majority in the chamber in this year’s midterm elections. Sen. Sullivan has accused his namesake challenger of working with Democrats to try to trick voters and boost the chances of his top opponent, former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, a claim both deny. The challenger, who lives in the small fishing community of Petersburg south of Juneau, told The Associated Press earlier this week that the decision to run was “my choice.” He said he had no contact with the Peltola campaign — “zero, none, zilch.” This week, the challenger also pushed back in response to Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom’s announcement that she was opening an investigation into his candidacy. “The law forbids your office from denying me access to the ballot just because Senator Sullivan and the NRSC would prefer I