Trump Orders DOJ Lawsuit to Block Alaska Senate Certification
President Donald Trump directed the Justice Department to sue Alaska to block Senate election certification if incumbent Dan S. Sullivan loses due to namesake voter confusion.
The United States Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit on October 22, 2026, seeking to block the certification of Alaska's U.S. Senate election results if incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan is defeated. Acting under the direct order of President Donald Trump, the DOJ argues that the presence of Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher with a nearly identical name, was intended to mislead voters and benefit Democratic candidate Mary Peltola.
The legal challenge follows a New York Times investigation alleging that Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee orchestrated a secret "ballot composition project" to recruit spoiler candidates. The report claims operatives used voter records to identify individuals named Dan Sullivan to dilute the incumbent's support. While the Peltola campaign and the DSCC deny these allegations, former campaign manager Elisa Rios stated that Peltola was aware of the effort. In response, Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered the Alaska Department of Public Safety to investigate whether the campaign committed crimes.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason has expressed skepticism regarding the DOJ's last-minute filing, noting it occurred after voting began and months after the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. could remain on the ballot. The Government of Alaska, the Peltola campaign, and the ACLU have all filed motions to dismiss the suit, arguing the federal government lacks authority to intervene in state-run elections. Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the action as a necessary guardrail to ensure the results reflect the will of the voters.
