Full Breakdown
Decoy Candidate Back on Alaska Senate Ballot Amid Super PAC Funding Scrutiny
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Super PAC Funding of “Decoy Dan” in the 2026 Alaska Senate Race
Recent Federal Election Commission filings reveal that a super-PAC named Right for Alaska has spent roughly $1.15 million to support Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher who appears on the ballot under the same name as incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan. The PAC’s disclosures show it received about $990,000 from the progressive Sixteen Thirty Fund and $1.8 million from the dark-money 501(c)(4) Liberty Force Action Fund, whose donors are not publicly identified.
Background & Context
Alaska’s non-partisan August primary placed both Dan Sullivans and former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola among the top four, advancing them to the November general election. The state’s ranked-choice voting system requires a candidate to obtain more than 50 % of the vote to win. After the primary, Alaska’s chief election official removed Dan J. Sullivan from the ballot, citing a “preponderance of the evidence” that his name and party affiliation were chosen to confuse voters. Days later, the Alaska Supreme Court ordered his reinstatement, ruling that state law does not obligate candidates to run in good faith and directing the Division of Elections to adopt less drastic measures to differentiate the two Sullivans.
Key Figures & Groups
- Dan J. Sullivan – Retired teacher, listed as a Republican, described himself as a moderate and has previously supported anti-Trump protests.
- Sen. Dan S. Sullivan – Incumbent Republican U.S. senator seeking reelection.
- Mary Peltola – Former U.S. Representative, Democratic challenger in the Senate race.
- Right for Alaska – Super-PAC that funded “Decoy Dan.”
- Sixteen Thirty Fund – Progressive donor network that contributed roughly $990,000 to the PAC.
- Liberty Force Action Fund – Dark-money 501(c)(4) that contributed about $1.8 million.
- Thomas Datwyler – Treasurer for both Right for Alaska and Liberty Force Action Fund, previously linked to former Rep. George Santos; he declined comment when contacted.
Data & Statistics
- Total spending by Right for Alaska on Dan J. Sullivan: ~ $1.15 million.
- Contributions to the PAC: $990,000 from Sixteen Thirty Fund; $1.8 million from Liberty Force Action Fund.
- Latest RealClearPolitics poll shows Democrat Mary Peltola leading the race by 2.5 percentage points, with 49.5 % to Sen. Sullivan’s 47.0 %.
Official Statements & Responses
- The Alaska Supreme Court ruled that the state’s statutes do not require candidates to run in good faith, ordering the Division of Elections to adopt measures that better distinguish the two Sullivans.
- The chief election official’s earlier decision to remove Dan J. Sullivan was based on concerns that his ballot listing could mislead voters.
- Conservative advocacy groups have urged the Justice Department to investigate Thomas Datwyler, alleging violations of federal campaign-finance law.
- Datwyler, the PAC’s treasurer, has not responded to requests for comment.
The reinstatement of Dan J. Sullivan keeps the Senate contest tightly contested, while the disclosed progressive financing fuels ongoing debate over the role of super-PACs and candidate-name confusion in Alaska’s unique electoral system.