Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told Newsmax on Tuesday that the disqualification of a same-name Republican challenger to Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, exposes a pattern of Democratic election gamesmanship and underscores why federal voter ID legislation must clear the Senate.

Appearing on "Rob Schmitt Tonight," Luna seized on the Alaska ruling as fresh evidence of a recurring problem.

"Yeah. Look, it's completely not right that they're doing that," she said. "But then again, every single day, you know, we have one of these issues."

Alaska Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher ruled Monday that Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, cannot appear on the Aug. 18 primary ballot, concluding his declaration of candidacy "was not filed in order to declare an actual good-faith candidacy" but "with a purpose to confuse or mislead" voters.

Beecher cited his registration as a Republican two days before filing, a campaign website mirroring the incumbent's color scheme and launch-release metadata identifying a Democratic consultant as the author.

He has 30 days to appeal. Ballots print June 28.

Sen. Sullivan now faces former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, in one of the cycle's most-watched Senate contests, run under Alaska's top-four nonpartisan primary and ranked-choice general election.

Public polling has consistently shown a competitive race.

An Alaska Survey Research poll fielded March 19-22 found Peltola leading Sullivan 52.4%-47.6% in a third-round ranked-choice simulation, with the former congresswoman up 48.8%-43.5% in the first round. The survey of 1,590 Alaska adults, including 1,340 general election voters, carried a margin of error of 2.5 to 3.0 percentage points.

Luna closed with a sharper indictment. "So I'm not surprised by that. But, you know, unfortunately, Democrats are very cunning in how they do try to interfere in elections," she said. "And what I will say is that we need voter ID to be the top issue in the country."

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