Before Alaska’s Two Dan Sullivans, JFK Had Two Joe Russos

The controversy surrounding two candidates named Dan Sullivan in Alaska‘s U.S. Senate race has an unexpected historical parallel: John F. Kennedy‘s first congressional campaign, when two men named Joe Russo ran against him in the 1946 Democratic primary.

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According to the West End Museum, the second Russo was a 27-year-old janitor who was paid by Kennedy campaign manager Joseph Kane to enter the race, potentially confusing voters and splitting support for the more established candidate. The museum’s account says Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., JFK’s father and a wealthy businessman who later served as U.S. ambassador to Britain, reportedly approved the tactic, although it remains unclear whether JFK himself knew about it.