Justice Department sues to block certification in Alaska's Senate race if Sen. Dan Sullivan loses to Mary Peltola

The Justice Department sued Thursday in federal court in Alaska, asking that the state be blocked from certifying a win by Democrat Mary Peltola if a second candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan, remains on the ballot, the Associated Press reported. Al Jazeera reported the suit, which cites the National Voter Registration Act, asks that certification be barred if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses by fewer votes than his namesake receives, pending an investigation into voter confusion. Trump said, "I'm the one that said do it," and called the second Sullivan's candidacy "CHEATING," the AP reported.

Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, says he is running independently, while Republicans contend he is a Democratic plant meant to draw votes from the incumbent, the AP reported. The Alaska Supreme Court rejected an earlier Republican effort to remove him, and he appears with no party label. In the August primary, Sen. Sullivan got more than 68,000 votes and Daniel J. Sullivan got 4,107, about 2%, while Peltola was the top vote getter, according to the AP. Al Jazeera put the primary result at 49.5% for Peltola and about 41% for Sen. Sullivan, and noted Trump won Alaska by about 13 points in 2024.

The department said it is "taking the necessary steps to ensure that this frivolous candidacy does not undermine the integrity of Alaska's election," and Attorney General Todd Blanche said it is never the department's intention "to improperly interfere with elections," the AP reported. Notre Dame law professor Derek Muller told the AP that "The statute simply doesn't let the Department of Justice enjoin certification," and wrote that the argument was "so absurdly thin" it had essentially no chance, Al Jazeera reported. Sullivan campaign spokesman Nate Adams said, "We'll let the DOJ complaint run its course," and DSCC executive director Devan Barber said, "Donald Trump knows that Dan Sullivan is going to lose the election." CNBC reported on Oct. 24 that Democrats and voting rights groups are challenging the bid in court.