Petersburg, Alaska — Daniel J. Sullivan, the independent candidate running for Senate in Alaska whose name is almost identical to the Republican senator running for reelection, left his hometown of Petersburg earlier this week, multiple sources confirmed to CBS News.
One resident and former student of Sullivan’s said she saw Sullivan on a flight to Anchorage on Monday — two days before The New York Times first reported that he was recruited by operatives linked to Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign. The source added she did not know where Sullivan was headed, but another friend said he and his wife are known among friends as “world travelers.”
Sullivan’s current whereabouts after leaving his hometown are not clear.
Dozens of Petersburg residents also told CBS News they never saw or received any campaign materials like mailers, flyers, brochures or signs since the former elementary school teacher announced his candidacy last spring.
“I don’t think it’s a serious candidacy,” said Andrew Worhatch, a Petersburg fisherman. “I haven’t seen a platform.”
Just days before the midterm elections, a CBS News crew on the ground in Petersburg likewise found no indication of any active campaigning by the candidate, including outside his own home, which sits adjacent to the main coastal highway.
Still, Sullivan has his supporters — and voters — including Keely Hankins, who said she thinks “Petersburg Dan” is the only candidate capable of representing Southeast Alaska.
“I’ve known Dan for a long time. I know his family. I know he’s raised good children, and he’s always been a really great role model for his students,” Hankins maintained. “If you intend to vote and intentionally vote, you know who you’re going to vote for, and it says ‘Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr.,’ then it says ‘Dan Sullivan, incumbent.’ Just read the paper. It’s not that hard.”
But the new spotlight on the town is not welcomed by some. Darla Kowalski said, “It’s just embarrassing to think that we, a small fishing village, have such a hoaxer.”
The local school district in Petersburg — a town of around 3,000 accessible only by air or sea — said Sullivan taught music and fourth and fifth grade for nearly 20 years before retiring in 2021.
Republicans have argued for months that Sullivan was seeking to confuse voters in one of the country’s closest midterm Senate races, with Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan calling him a “sham candidate.” State election officials initially deemed him ineligible for the ballot, but state courts reversed that decision.
The Peltola campaign and national Democrats have denied any connection to Daniel J. Sullivan, with Peltola telling supporters she is “not interested in tricking voters” and “knew nothing about” the second Sullivan. In interviews over the summer, the Petersburg native insisted he is genuinely interested in serving as senator.
After the Times’ reporting on alleged efforts to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation, and the Justice Department ramped up a criminal probe. Nobody has been charged with a crime. The Justice Department is also suing in civil court to block the election from being certified if Sen. Dan Sullivan loses due to “voter confusion.”
