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JUNEAU, Alaska — <\/span>The Alaska Supreme Court ruled Monday that a man with the same name<\/a> and party affiliation as Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is qualified to run for the seat and ordered elections officials to place him on the August primary ballot.<\/p>\n The ruling came hours after the court heard arguments and just days after state court Judge Thomas Matthews found the Division of Elections had \u201cabused its discretion\u201d<\/a> in booting the challenger Sullivan from the ballot. The Supreme Court, in a brief ruling, affirmed Matthews\u2019 decision to include the challenger on the ballot but sent back to the division the issue of how he should be listed as a candidate \u201cwithin the confines of existing Alaska ballot design law.\u201d<\/p>\n The court said a full opinion explaining its decision would be released later. <\/p>\n Jeffrey Robinson, an attorney for the challenger Sullivan, expressed gratitude for the ruling and said he expected the division \u201cwill act in full compliance” with ballot design law in preparing the ballots. Sam Curtis, a spokesperson for the state Department of Law, said the state appreciated the quick ruling \u201cand will work to implement the order.” <\/p>\n Nate Adams, a spokesperson for Sen. Sullivan’s campaign, said while disappointed by the ruling, the campaign is encouraged that Beecher \u201cwill be able to use her expertise to differentiate between the Petersburg fraud and the incumbent \u2014 Senator Dan Sullivan \u2014 to the benefit of Alaska voters.”<\/p>\n Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher issued a decision June 15 finding the challenger\u2019s candidacy was not filed in good faith and instead was done with an intent to confuse voters. But Matthews said Beecher\u2019s decision was not based on the requirements set out by the U.S. Constitution to serve in the Senate \u2014 which address age, citizenship and residency \u2014 or on state laws or regulations.<\/p>\n The dust-up over the two Dan Sullivans began with the challenger filing his candidacy about a month ago and has roiled one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country. Alaska\u2019s race is one of about a half dozen Senate contests that are considered competitive and could determine control of the chamber for President Donald Trump\u2019s final two years in office.<\/p>\n The candidate filing prompted accusations by the senator and his allies<\/a>, including the National Republican Senatorial Committee, that the challenger is a sham candidate intent on sowing chaos. Republican Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, who oversees elections, responded by announcing an investigation into the challenger’s candidacy.<\/p>\n Two complaints raising questions about his party affiliation and motives were filed by the Alaska Republican Party chair.<\/p>\n The senator also accused the challenger Sullivan of working with Democrats and the campaign of Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola to cause confusion. Peltola\u2019s campaign and state Democrats have denied the allegation, as has the challenger, who said the decision to run was \u201cmy choice.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Peltola is seen as the senator\u2019s main rival in the race, which features more than a dozen candidates.<\/p>\n The top four vote-getters in the primary, regardless of party affiliation, advance to a ranked choice general election in November. <\/p>\n The challenger Sullivan, 69, a retired teacher from the small fishing community of Petersburg, told The Associated Press on Monday he had grown frustrated with the incumbent and thought the timing for a run was right. \u201cI just decided it was something I needed to do,\u201d he said. \u201cI will find out if it was the right thing or not, but I\u2019m going to give it a shot.\u201d<\/p>\n He said he aims to pull votes from the senator, as any challenger would. “But no, I\u2019m not trying to trick people,\u201d he told the AP.<\/p>\n