St. Petersburg, Alaska — Daniel J. Sullivan, the independent candidate Senate candidate in Alaska whose name is almost identical to that of the Republican senator running for re-election, left his hometown of Petersburg earlier this week, multiple sources confirmed to CBS News.
A 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 had been recruited by operatives linked to Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign. The source added that she didn’t know where Sullivan was headed, but another friend said he and his wife were known among their friends as “world travelers.”
Sullivan’s exact whereabouts after leaving his hometown are unclear.
Dozens of St. Petersburg residents also told CBS News they have never seen or received campaign materials like mailers, fliers, brochures or signs since the former elementary school teacher announced his candidacy last spring.
“I don’t think it’s a serious application,” said Andrew Worhatch, a fisherman from St. Petersburg. “I didn’t see a platform.”
Just days before the midterm elections, a CBS News team on the ground in St. Petersburg also found no indication of active campaigning by the candidate, including outside his own home, located next to the main coastal highway.
Still, Sullivan has his supporters — and his 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 raised good kids and he was always a great role model for his students,” Hankins said. “If you’re going to vote and vote intentionally, you know who you’re going to vote for, and it says ‘Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr.,’ and then ‘Dan Sullivan, Incumbent.’ Just read the paper. It’s not that hard.”
But the new spotlight on the city is not well received by some. Darla Kowalski said: “It’s just embarrassing to think that we, a small fishing village, have such a hoax.”
The local school district in St. Petersburg — a town of about 3,000 accessible only by air or sea — said Sullivan taught fourth and fifth grade music for nearly 20 years before retiring in 2021.
Republicans have argued for months that Sullivan sought to confuse voters in one of the nation’s tightest midterm Senate races, with Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan calling him a “phony candidate.” State election officials initially deemed him ineligible for the ballot, but state courts overturned that decision.
Peltola’s campaign and national Democrats have denied any connection between Daniel J. Sullivan and Peltola. tell his supporters she is “not interested in misleading voters” and “knew nothing” about the second Sullivan. In interviews over the summer, the St. Petersburg native insisted he was genuinely interested in becoming a senator.
After the Times report on alleged efforts to recruit Daniel J. Sullivan, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigationand the Ministry of Justice intensified criminal investigation. No one has been charged with a crime. The Justice Department is also suing in civil court to prevent certification of the election if Sen. Dan Sullivan loses due to “voter confusion.”
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