DOJ Sues to Block Alaska Senate Certification Over Name Confusion

The United States Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit in Alaska on October 22, 2026, seeking to block the certification of the U.S. Senate election results if incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan is defeated. The lawsuit argues that the presence of another candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., on the ballot is intended to mislead voters and unfairly benefit Democratic nominee Mary Peltola. The DOJ requests that certification be halted if an investigation reveals that the incumbent would have won had votes for the junior Sullivan been attributed to him.

President Donald Trump personally directed the legal action, characterizing the namesake candidacy as a "SCAM" and "CHEATING." Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the suit as a necessary guardrail to protect election integrity under the National Voter Registration Act. This follows a June ruling by the Supreme Court of Alaska that rejected earlier attempts to remove Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. from the ballot.

Democratic candidate Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee filed motions to dismiss the suit, calling it a "despicable political threat." Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski also criticized the intervention, stating the state had already distinguished the candidates. The legal battle occurs as Peltola leads the incumbent in multiple polls and rural Alaska reports systemic failures with early voting sites failing to open.