By WIN GRUENING
The number of attack ads targeting Sen. Dan Sullivan over the last year by Democrat-aligned special interest groups is astounding. The 2026 election is 16 months away. It’s clear that the Democratic Party wants to win that Senate seat and is even pressuring Sen. Sullivan to change his stance on key issues advantageous to Alaska.
It hasn’t worked in the past, it isn’t working now, and it won’t work in the future.
In Sen. Sullivan’s 2020 race, he faced a tsunami of “dark money” ads supporting his opponent and was outspent 2-1. Yet, he won handily with a winning percentage approaching 13%, a greater margin than polls predicted.
Five years later, Sen. Sullivan is not taking anything for granted and is gearing up for another battle. So far in 2025, Sullivan’s reelection campaign has raised over $4.8 million total, with more than $3.9 million cash on hand.
More importantly, Sen. Sullivan keeps proving he can deliver on his promises through a series of actions and consequential votes that will benefit Alaskans for generations to come.
Since his 2020 re-election, Sen. Sullivan has focused on numerous issues with beneficial impacts for Alaska including the following:
Economic Development and Resource Expansion: Sen. Sullivan has led the fight to unlock Alaska’s economic potential by advocating for resource development. He supported President Trump’s reversal of Biden’s executive orders preventing Alaska from strengthening our country with our vast energy and mineral resources.
Infrastructure and Public Services: Sullivan has secured billions in federal infrastructure funding to fix Alaska’s roads, bridges, water and sewer systems (especially in Native communities), broadband, and ferry services. All are critical investments given Alaska’s vast size and limited infrastructure compared to other states.
Fisheries and Coastal Community Support: Sen. Sullivan has worked to protect Alaska fishermen and coastal communities by ensuring fisheries open on schedule and challenges such as declining salmon runs on major rivers are addressed.
Military and National Security Strengthening: In light of rising geopolitical threats in proximity to Alaska, Sen. Sullivan has advocated for bolstering national security, with billions anticipated in new military construction in the state.
As a Senate Armed Services Committee member, Sen. Sullivan is a leader in strengthening America’s military services particularly in Alaska and the Arctic. He is frequently a guest of national news outlets commenting on America’s military capabilities and their importance in protecting America’s national security.
As Chairman of the Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Coast Guard, Maritime, and Fisheries, Sen. Sullivan’s top priority has been to expand Coast Guard assets stationed in Alaska.
His actions have resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars of additional investments as well as additional personnel in our region.
The Coast Guard’s presence in the communities of Sitka, Kodiak, Seward, Ketchikan, and Juneau will be strengthened and expanded with the addition of six Fast Response Cutters and the nation’s first polar icebreaker in a generation, the Coast Guard Cutter Storis. The Storis’s commissioning is scheduled for August 10 at 9:30 a.m. in Juneau, where the vessel will be homeported.
The icebreaker funding was secured after four years of advocacy by Sen. Sullivan. His laser-focused commitment to the project spanned two administrations and included regular engagement with senior leaders in the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, National Security Council, Office of Management & Budget, and his colleagues in the House and the Senate.
Dan Sullivan’s dedicated service to Alaska and the nation stands out. Before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014, he served as Alaska’s Attorney General and Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources. He also brings the experience and perspective of an infantry officer and recently retired as a Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.
Dan and his wife, Julie Fate Sullivan, have spent over 30 years together, beginning their life as a couple in Julie’s hometown of Fairbanks, and later moving to Anchorage to raise their three daughters.
With deep roots in Alaska, Dan has demonstrated an ability to look beyond political divisions to do what’s best for Alaskans.
Critics running negative attack ads won’t change that.
After retiring as the senior vice president in charge of business banking for Key Bank in Alaska, Win Gruening became a regular opinion page columnist for the Juneau Empire. He was born and raised in Juneau and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970. He is involved in various local and statewide organizations.
Win Gruening, you made my day. An indication that perhaps we can get past this crevasse the political operatives have been creating between us, and simply work towards Alaska’s future, thanks.
Yeah the far-left ads are pretty stupid, But that’s all they do is lie. Sullivan is doing a 100x more for Alaska than Murkowski
Sullivan has had to work in a rotten environment during the Biden administration and was continually calling the Dems out for their destructive moves against our state.
Another big government win in Dan. Remember when he voted no on parental rights because some Northern Virginia think tank told him to?
Win- spending billions of taxpayer money doesn’t make one great. You know better.
His fishery record is well documented with yet another year of King Salmon closures. $73k in campaign donations from a Seattle seafood corp.
Goldman Sachs $59k. Banking and investment firms make up a significant amount of his campaign donations.
Who is he serving again?
He voted to give DoD in the 2024 NDAA $841bn and in the build back beautiful bill another $154bn. Now I hear he is squeaking about a $1t DoD budget. DoD hasn’t maintained accountability to pass an audit in the last 7 years. Literally his oversight job he has failed to account for nearly $4.2t worth of defense assets.
But he has an R behind his name.
Alaskans we are $37t in the hole. Big Spender Dan helped dig that hole. Your Childern’s grand children will be forced to make payments on what Big Spender Dan is purchasing.
Dan Sullivan has a long history of benefiting his donors over his constituents. Whether it be when he was attorney general and settled the TRS/PERS lawsuit against Mercer for pennies on the dollar, or putting commercial fishing above subsistence users. All of his infrastructure legislation report was a result of voting for the Biden Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which he now supports Trump in undermining it and recouping those dollars. Time for a change! Fire all 3 of Alaska’s US Congressional Delegation.
Amen. Alaska needs to clean house.
If Duck ‘n Run Dan is doing such a great job, why is he afraid to meet with his Alaskan constituents during his extended vacation? Why does he hide behind safe, staged, photo opps on Facebook? It’s because Sycophant Sullivan is so afraid he might be asked tough questions and have to say something unflattering about his master, Felon34. Let’s all watch Cowardly Dan head for the hills (or elevators) when anyone asks about his unwavering support for a proven child rapist. How does he look his three young daughters in the eye?? He’s a shameless huckster who makes empty promises on things to Alaskans that won’t materialize for decades, if at all.
Thank you Dan for what you are doing for Alaskans! No one else is doing it and the dems have absolutely no answer.
It will fail as surely as those attack ads and daily postcards trashing Nick Begich in the 24’ election. With a dud.
thank you win. Right on
Thanks, Win. But two (the middle two) of the 4 bullet points you list were done in lockstep with our other Senator; and Murkowski, with her leverage on the IFA bill, was far more influential on funding for Alaska’s infrastructure than Dano.
But you’re right to give creds to Sullivan’s impact on the largess of bringing home the pork of funding the military presence in Alaska.
This isn’t a plug for Murkowski; rather, a fact-check on your cheerleading for his performance
AK for Free? What is wrong with commercial fishing? It has sustained Alaska for longer than many have been squeaking here.
Ukraine Dan has help send 350 billion of our national debt to Ukraine. Dan is a NATO lover. Wants Ukraine in NATO, that will keep the WAR going because that was the agreement that NATO wouldn’t expand and guess what they have added and got closer to Russia. We should be getting out of NATO. Sullivan keep freight to Alaska costing the average Alaska of 10000 per year because of the big donation he took from the Longshoreman’s Union. Hey he cares about Alaska. Just look back and at the thing Sullivan has voted for in the last 10 years.
Let’s not forget how he backed LISA MURKOWSKI in the last election. We are work good together he says. Also remember all the POS that he voted yes on in Biden cabinet. Our party is a joke.