Dan Sullivan is a former Marine colonel and Alaska attorney general who brought extensive military and legal experience to the Senate when he defeated incumbent Democrat Mark Begich in 2014. A strong advocate for Alaska's energy independence and military readiness, he has focused heavily on expanding oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and strengthening America's strategic position in the Arctic region. Sullivan has positioned himself as a defense hawk who emphasizes the growing importance of Alaska's geographic location amid rising tensions with Russia and China in the Pacific.