Sullivan, Dan (1964-…), became a United States senator in 2015. Sullivan, a Republican , represents Alaska . Prior to his election to the Senate , Sullivan had served as Alaska’s attorney general and as its commissioner of natural resources .
Daniel Scott Sullivan was born in Fairview Park, Ohio, on Nov. 13, 1964. He received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University in 1987. In 1993, Sullivan earned a law degree and a master’s degree in foreign service from the Georgetown University Law Center. Later that year, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps .
While serving in the Marines, Sullivan attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. He completed his active duty in the Marine Corps in 1997 and then joined the Marine Reserves. Sullivan and his family moved to Fairbanks , and he became a law clerk for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In 1998 and 1999, Sullivan clerked for a justice of the Alaska Supreme Court. He then worked as an attorney in private practice. In 2002, he moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the administration of President George W. Bush . Sullivan served as a director for the National Security and National Economic councils. From 2004 to 2006, Sullivan was recalled to active duty in the Marines. He also served on active duty for stints in 2009 and 2013.
From 2006 to 2009, Sullivan served under Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as assistant secretary of state for economic, energy, and business affairs. In 2009, he returned to Alaska and became state attorney general under Governor Sarah Palin . In late 2010, he was named the state’s natural resources commissioner. He stepped down from the position in the fall of 2013 and soon declared his intention to run for a U.S. Senate seat. He won the Republican primary in August 2014 and defeated incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Begich in the general election.
