This Senate Race Just Got VERY Strange

Summary

Podcast Summary: "This Senate Race Just Got VERY Strange"

Podcast: The Bulwark
Date: May 31, 2026
Host: Will Sommer
Guest: Catherine Rampell

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Will Sommer and Catherine Rampell dive into the bewildering developments in Alaska’s Senate race, where a second Republican candidate named Dan Sullivan—sharing the exact name of the incumbent—is challenging for the seat. They explore allegations of political “dirty tricks,” discuss the broader implications for the 2026 Senate balance, and distill the comedic and confusing elements emerging from this unprecedented name-twin candidacy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to "Double Dan Sullivan"

• Will Sommer introduces the premise: two men named Dan Sullivan, both running as Republicans in Alaska's jungle primary, challenging the incumbent and causing widespread confusion.
• Rampell’s Description:
  • “[There is] a photo of two men… they are both named Dan Sullivan and they are both running for Senate in Alaska as Republicans.” (00:22)

2. The High Stakes & Confusion

• This is considered a pivotal and “flippable” Senate race with national significance.
• Context: Alaska employs a “jungle primary,” meaning all candidates (regardless of party) appear on the same primary ballot.
• Notable Quote:
  • Sommer: “This is a sort of battleground that’s gonna decide—help decide—whether Democrats win the Senate in all likelihood.” (02:23)

3. Allegations of Dirty Tricks

• The National Republican Senatorial Committee has accused Democrats of orchestrating this confusion, suggesting it's an intentional maneuver to split the Republican vote or draw support from the incumbent.
  • Quote from NRSC statement:
    • “Mary Peltola and Chuck Schumer know that they can't beat Senator Sullivan on his record. So they're resorting deceitful political maneuvers that attempt to trick Alaskans and buy a seat.” (01:47)
• The Peltola campaign (the major Democratic contender) denies any involvement, though hosts note how the scenario seems suspiciously fortuitous for Democrats.

4. The Mystery of “Alaska Dan”

• Rampell: “According to local reporting, there are at least nine Dan Sullivans who are registered to vote across the state of Alaska...” (03:26)
• Clarification: The new candidate is not the former Anchorage mayor (also named Dan Sullivan), but an entirely different, little-known figure.

5. The AI-generated Speculation & Campaign Gimmickry

• Sommer expresses that the new Dan Sullivan “has come out of nowhere” and jokes about his campaign photo looking “pretty AI generated,” poking at the online culture of spotting digital fakes. (03:45)
  • Quote:
    • “This guy, no one knows this guy’s deal at all... his picture looks pretty AI generated. Right. I mean... this looks like I would be on the subreddit, ‘is this AI or not?’”
• The challenger’s campaign leans into the name confusion with playful rhetoric, e.g., promising to “out-Sullivan” the other Dan.
• Notable quote from campaign announcement:
  • “I know firsthand the challenges everyday Alaskans face. And I know that Ohio Dan doesn’t get it. He was born on third base and thinks he hit a home run. It is time for Alaska to elect a Sullivan that’s on their side.” (04:24)

6. The Comedy and Confusion of the Scenario

• Both hosts liken the situation to a classic Abbott and Costello “who’s on first?” bit, highlighting just how easily voters could become bewildered.
• Rampell: “The whole thing is also sort of like who's on first? Ish, you know, confusion about which Dan Sullivan. Will the real Dan Sullivan please stand up…” (04:24)

7. Suspicious Campaign Details and Further Questions

• No Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings exist for the new Dan Sullivan, raising questions about campaign legitimacy.
• Metadata in campaign materials supposedly ties them to Amber Lee, a known backer of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola, suggesting possible behind-the-scenes orchestration.
• The segment closes with both hosts underlining the intrigue and possible precedents this campaign could set.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Rampell (on the proliferation of Sullivans):
  • “According to local reporting, there are at least nine Dan Sullivans who are registered to vote across the state of Alaska, which has a population of about 740... Please, all of the Dan Sullivans out there.” (03:26)
• Sommer (on campaign picture):
  • “His picture looks pretty AI generated. Right. I mean it has like this looks like I would be on like the subreddit, like is this AI or not?” (03:45)
• Rampell (on the challenger’s rhetoric):
  • “It's not a middle initial or anything else... it's where they came from.” (04:24)
• Sommer (on campaign mechanics):
  • “The classic election mischief is finding a guy with the same name as the incumbent or the other at, putting him on the ballot.” (02:53)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:22 – Introduction of the two Dan Sullivans and the overview of the situation
• 01:47 – Republicans allege “dirty tricks”; NRSC statement quoted
• 02:23 – Stakes of the Senate race; possibility of Democrats gaining majority
• 03:26 – Noting the number of Dan Sullivans in Alaska; speculation about the proliferation of candidates
• 03:45 – Suspicion about AI-generated candidacy photo; confusion about the challenger’s origins
• 04:24 – Examination of campaign rhetoric, comedic confusion, and suspicious campaign details

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Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is lighthearted and subtly incredulous, blending pointed political analysis with levity. Both hosts enjoy riffing on the absurdity of the situation, making comedic references while discussing genuine electoral concerns and the implications of name confusion on a critical Senate race.

Transcript

[A]

What's up, guys? This is Will Sommer at the Bulwark here today with Kathryn Rampel, the author of our receipts newsletter, to talk about something intriguing. Some sort of perhaps dirty tricks, some mischief going on in the Alaska Senate race. Katherine, what is happening?

[B]

Okay, so we have a photo of two men. Do you know the difference between these two men?

[A]

They're both kind of like old white guys with graying, thinning hair. I would say if I was playing guess who, that's how I would maybe describe them.

[B]

If you were playing guess who. You might also add that they are both named Dan Sullivan and they are both running for Senate in Alaska as Republicans. The guy on the left is the sitting senator from Alaska, Dan Sullivan. The guy on the right is a challenger for that seat. Also Dan Sullivan, again, both running as Republicans in what is potentially a very flippable seat in the Senate. Mary Peltola is the candidate who will be also running in this election. In. In. It's basically a. A jungle election where they all run together. And there is some questioning of how this new Dan Sullivan entered the race and what his deal is. So the Republicans are. The rep. You know, Republican Party is suggesting, as you point, as you put it like that there are some dirty tricks going on. Like where did this Dan Sullivan come from? Because he is relatively new entrant. He is one of more than a dozen U.S. senate candidates that have entered or have filed the necessary paperwork to appear on the August 18 primary ballot in Alaska, according to the Anchorage Daily News. And so the Republicans say it's a trick. The National Republican Senatorial Committee gave a statement to the Anchorage Daily News National Republican Senatorial Committee statement says, quote, mary Peltola and Chuck Schumer know that they can't beat Senator Sullivan on his record. So they're resorting deceitful political maneuvers that attempt to trick Alaskans and buy a seat, unquote. The Peltola campaign denies that it has any involvement here, but it does look a little convenient, I would say, for Peltola. What do you make of it?

[A]

Yeah, I mean, so as you said, I mean, this is a very high stakes Senate race. This is a sort of a battleground that's gonna decide, help decide whether Democrats win the Senate in all likelihood. And then suddenly you have this. This guy, second Dan Sullivan, let's say at the end of last week, he pops up and he says, I'm the new Dan Sullivan or I'm the Dan Sullivan you should really vote for. As you said, this is all being announced by this Woman who's a Democratic strategist and I think we'll get to her backstory. But basically this is like the er, dirty trick, right? Is finding. Or like maybe that's prejudicial. It strikes me as a classic dirty trick. Or it's like the classic election mischief is finding a guy with the same name as the incumbent or the other at putting him on the ballot. And the good news for Democrats is, I mean look, sometimes you have to look really far to find a guy with the same name. But in this case Dan Sullivan, I'm sure there's plenty of them in Alaska and they just had to find one Democrat run him. I think it's interesting. I mean, I think, you know, as you said, I mean Republicans are furious about it, you know, and you know, obviously this is an important race.

[B]

Yeah. According to local reporting, there are at least nine Dan Sullivans who are registered to vote across the state of Alaska, which has a population of about 740. So maybe we are yet to see more Dan Sullivan's enter the race. That would be quite interesting. Please. All of the Dan Sullivan's out there.

[A]

And let's make clear, there was Dan Sullivan who ran in 2016, who I think was the mayor of Anchorage. He ran for Senate. This is a different guy. This is a guy who has come out of nowhere. He looks, to be frank, I don't think it is. His picture looks pretty AI generated. Right. I mean it has like this looks like I would be on like the subreddit, like is this AI or not? It's like my aunt is in this catfish relationship with this Alaskan fisherman fellow. And I mean this guy, no one knows this guy's deal at all. And the thing I wanted to flag here is in their announcement, they're really playing into the name confusion. It's kind of like a Dr. Seuss thing because they're saying this Dan Sullivan will take on the bad Dan Sullivan and he'll out Sullivan him and so on and so forth.

[B]

Yeah, I mean, yes, sort of. Dr. Seussi. The whole thing is also sort of like who's on first? Ish, you know, confusion about which Dan Sullivan. Will the real Dan Sullivan please stand up and is which Dan Sullivan is on first or you know, shortstop or what that we, that we found from the Anchorage Daily News, from Dan Sullivan to Dan Sullivan from Petersburg, Alaska was quote, I know firsthand the challenges everyday Alaskans face. And I know that Ohio Dan doesn't get it. He was born on third base and thinks he hit a home run. It is time for Alaska to elect a Sullivan that's on their side. And he refers to the incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan as Ohio Dan because I guess he was born and raised in Ohio. So that's, that's the differentiation. It's not a, a middle initial or anything else. It's or, or the brand of the fleece that they're wearing in those video in the, the photos we had before, but it's where they came from. You know, I will say that there are a couple of other things that are a little bit suspicious about this run. According to local reporting that there are no FEC filings for the new Dan Sullivan and there are some conflicting political action committee. In some of the campaign materials, there is metadata, including someone by the name of Amber Lee who has backed Peltola, again, the Democratic candidate in the past. In some of the materials that have been distributed, the Anchorage Daily News.