DOJ Sues to Block Alaska Senate Certification Over Namesake
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit to block Alaska's Senate election certification if Republican Dan S. Sullivan loses due to voter confusion.
The United States Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit in Alaska on October 23, 2026, seeking to block the certification of the U.S. Senate election results if incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan loses to Democrat Mary Peltola. The suit argues that the presence of another candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., on the ballot is intended to mislead voters and compromise election integrity. The DOJ requests that certification be halted if an investigation reveals the incumbent would have won had votes for the junior Sullivan been attributed to him.
President Donald Trump personally directed the legal action, labeling the presence of a namesake candidate a "SCAM" and "CHEATING." Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the suit as a measure to ensure officials have necessary information regarding voter confusion, though he denied the department intends to improperly interfere with the certification process.
Democratic candidate Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee filed motions to dismiss the suit, calling it a "despicable political threat" and an unprecedented strike on democratic elections. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski also criticized the intervention, stating the state had already distinguished the candidates on the ballot. The legal battle follows a June ruling by the Supreme Court of Alaska that reinstated Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to the ballot after the Alaska Division of Elections had initially attempted to remove him.
Concurrent with the legal dispute, reports emerged that 18 early voting sites in rural Alaska failed to open, leading to accusations of systemic failure and voter suppression. The race remains a critical contest for control of the U.S. Senate.
