The ad, which was reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon, features a man identified as "Alan" from "Anchorage" who accuses Sen. Dan S. Sullivan of "voting to raise our costs." However, the man's full name is Alan Harris, and he is a representative of Dan J. Sullivan's campaign. Harris's moving company, Allstar Moving, is registered to a residential address in Anchorage, Alaska, and he is also associated with a political consulting firm owned by his romantic partner, Democratic strategist Amber Lee.
Dan J. Sullivan confirmed in June that he hired Lee as a campaign adviser, and his declaration of candidacy states that Harris delivered the declaration form to the Alaska Division of Elections on behalf of the campaign. This revelation undercuts Schumer's attempts to distance himself and his political apparatus from Dan J. Sullivan, whom Republicans have accused of being a "sham candidate" running to deceive GOP voters in an attempt to siphon support from Sen. Sullivan.
In Alaska, the "top four" ranked-choice voting system allows all candidates to run in one primary, and the top four vote-getters advance to the general election. As a result, both Sullivans could appear on the ballot in November. Dan J. Sullivan is running as a Republican, despite not being associated with the party until two days before filing to run under the GOP banner. He has claimed that his "father and grandfather were both Republicans" and raised him "to believe in compassionate conservatism," which led him "to choose to run as a Republican."
However, his father pulled Democratic primary ballots in Illinois in 2024 and 2006, according to voting records obtained by The Alaska Story. Schumer, Lee, and the Dan J. Sullivan campaign did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for Senate Majority PAC denied any involvement with Dan J. Sullivan's campaign, stating that the ad featuring Harris was filmed in early May, weeks before Dan J. Sullivan filed to run.
Mainstream media outlets have referenced Lee as a Democratic strategist and supporter of Sen. Sullivan's top Democratic opponent, former congresswoman Mary Peltola. The New York Times included a quote from Lee in a 2022 piece on Peltola, calling her "a Democratic strategist who is backing Ms. Peltola." In a January piece, the Hill dubbed Lee "an Alaska Democratic consultant." Lee has also done work for a super PAC that has supported Peltola's congressional campaigns, Vote Alaska Before Party, which paid her firm more than $6,000 between November 2022 and October 2024.
Republicans challenged Dan J. Sullivan's candidacy, arguing that he was running in "bad faith." The Alaska Division of Elections disqualified him in June, determining that his campaign served "the purpose of confusing or misleading voters." Dan J. Sullivan appealed the decision, which a lower court reversed. The Alaska supreme court upheld that reversal on June 29, meaning Dan J. Sullivan will appear on the Aug. 18 primary ballot alongside Sen. Sullivan.
The situation has raised questions about the involvement of Schumer's nonprofit group in the Alaska Senate race and the potential impact on the Republican primary. As the election approaches, it remains to be seen how the presence of Dan J. Sullivan on the ballot will affect the outcome of the race and the balance of power in the Senate.