Trump DOJ seeks to block Alaska Senate certification if Republican loses

The Justice Department says two candidates with similar names could confuse voters, while Alaska officials and political figures dispute the need for federal intervention.

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department is asking a federal court to prevent Alaska from certifying its U.S. Senate election if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses and votes for another candidate with a similar name could have changed the result. The Alaska Senate lawsuit follows other disputes over federal election authority, including a ruling against the administration’s voter-roll policy and an appeal involving mail-ballot restrictions.

The department filed its complaint Thursday, Oct. 22, arguing that two candidates named Sullivan could confuse voters and alter the outcome, BBC News reported. It wants certification delayed under specific circumstances while officials investigate whether ballots cast for one Sullivan were intended for the other.

The incumbent, Dan S. Sullivan, faces Democrat Mary Peltola, a former U.S. representative, and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher from Petersburg, among the candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot. The senator is identified as a Republican incumbent, while the other Sullivan has no party designation next to his name.

The Justice Department alleges the second Sullivan entered the race to draw votes from the incumbent. He denies trying to mislead voters. Alaska’s Supreme Court previously rejected efforts to keep him off the ballot.

The complaint invokes the National Voter Registration Act, arguing that certifying a result affected by mistaken votes would undermine election integrity. A federal judge has not ruled on that claim.

Trump acknowledged directing the lawsuit. “I’m the one that said do it,” he told reporters Friday.

Also Friday, Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee asked to intervene in the lawsuit. Voting-rights groups filed a separate request, while Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski criticized the federal challenge.

On Sunday, Peltola’s campaign and the DSCC also sought permission to file a motion to dismiss and requested expedited consideration before Election Day. They argued that the federal voter-registration law does not authorize interference with certification.

Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the action Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” saying the department sought safeguards to investigate potential voter confusion. He maintained that Alaska, not federal officials, should determine who won.

Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, allowing voters to rank multiple candidates. The Alaska Senate lawsuit remains pending, and no court has ordered the state to withhold certification ahead of the Nov. 3 election.