Man with same name as US Sen. Dan Sullivan is eligible for Alaska’s primary ballot, judge rules | CNN Politics

A man with the same name and Republican party affiliation as Alaska US Sen. Dan Sullivan is eligible to challenge the senator in the August primary, a judge ruled Friday, the latest turn in a drama surrounding the broader fight over control of the US Senate. Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews’ ruling overturns a June 15 decision by Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher to disqualify the challenger and keep him off the primary ballot. Matthews’ ruling can be appealed to the state Supreme Court. Attorneys for the state have said Tuesday is the deadline for a final ruling so that ballots for the Aug. 18 primary can be printed. The judge ruled that the elections division’s decision to exclude Dan J. Sullivan because his candidacy was not “in good faith” was not based on the US Constitution, Alaska law or the Division’s own regulations. “Instead, the decision was based upon a new, previously unstated, ‘good faith’ criteria,” the judge wrote. The retired teacher from the small fishing community of Petersburg filed to challenge the incumbent in May. Attorneys for the state did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday’s ruling. Jeffrey Robert