U.S. Senate race in Alaska sparks turmoil due to new candidate running with same last name as incumbent

[Washington Current Affairs] A new candidate with the same last name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan is running in the Alaska Senate race, which is expected to be a close race in the U.S. midterm elections in November, and is attracting attention as a potential turbulent factor. In the Senate, the victory or loss of just one seat could determine the majority, and Republicans are nervous about ``erroneous votes'' for newcomers.

The state will hold its primary election on the 18th. Under state law, the top four candidates advance to the general election in November, and a newcomer and former teacher, Dan Sullivan, has decided to advance to the general election, following former Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola and incumbent Dan Sullivan.

The incumbent claims that the new candidate is a "decoy candidate" sent by the Democratic Party. State authorities disallowed his candidacy, claiming that he intended to confuse voters, but the newcomer argued that he was a legitimate candidate, and the state Supreme Court overturned the authorities' decision, stating that he did not violate the law.

According to predictions from election analysis agency Cook Political Report, the race is a 50-50 split between the incumbent and Mr. Peltola. A few votes could decide the outcome, and President Trump called on voters to vote for the "real Sullivan" during the primary election, and is expected to repeat his appeal in the general election in November.

Republicans currently control the Senate with a 53-47 split. The Democratic Party needs to gain four seats to regain the majority, and the state is one of its key constituencies. It seems possible that the trend of a few percentage points of votes for candidates with the same last name could have an impact on the political situation in the United States.