Trump DOJ Takes Emergency Legal Action In Must-Win Senate Race

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department has launched a major legal challenge in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races, seeking to prevent Alaska from certifying election results under certain circumstances that federal prosecutors argue could undermine the integrity of the vote.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court, centers on Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan’s reelection battle against former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola. With control of the Senate at stake in November’s midterm elections, the contest has attracted national attention as Republicans fight to maintain their congressional majority.

But the administration’s concerns involve another candidate whose name is nearly identical to the incumbent senator’s.

Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, Alaska, is also running for the seat. Justice Department attorneys contend that his presence on the ballot could confuse voters intending to support Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, potentially changing the election’s outcome.

The administration is asking a federal judge to prevent Alaska from certifying results if the incumbent loses by a margin small enough that votes cast for the similarly named candidate could have changed the winner.

“The sole purpose of his candidacy is to benefit the Peltola campaign by reducing the number of votes for Senator Sullivan,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. argued in the filing.

Federal attorneys maintain that the situation presents an unusual threat to election integrity, particularly because voters could mistakenly select the wrong Sullivan despite intending to support the incumbent Republican.

U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska speaking with supporters of U.S. Senator John McCain at a campaign rally with fellow U.S. Senators Joni Ernst, Cory Gardner and David Perdue at Team McCain headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. Gage Skidmore

The lawsuit seeks an investigation into whether ballots cast for Daniel J. Sullivan were actually intended for the sitting senator before potentially affected results are certified. The dispute has already generated legal battles within Alaska.

Republicans previously attempted to remove the second Sullivan from the ballot, but the Alaska Supreme Court rejected those efforts. State election officials subsequently established ballot descriptions distinguishing the candidates, identifying the incumbent as a Republican while listing the other Sullivan without a party designation.

Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system also allows voters to rank multiple candidates, adding another complication to the Justice Department’s argument.

Daniel J. Sullivan has maintained that he independently decided to enter the race. Republicans have questioned his motivations, alleging that his candidacy could benefit Peltola by drawing support away from the incumbent. Those allegations have not been established as fact.

The federal intervention comes as election officials prepare for the November 3 midterms, with Alaska emerging as an important battleground in the fight for Senate control.

The lawsuit has also prompted questions about the federal government’s authority to intervene in state election certification procedures. Earlier Thursday, Attorney General Todd Blanche insisted that the department did not intend to improperly interfere with state election procedures.

“It is not DOJ’s intention to and it’s never our intention to improperly interfere with elections or the state certification process,” Blanche told reporters.

The Justice Department’s filing does not automatically stop Alaska from certifying its election. A federal judge would have to grant the requested relief. For now, the legal challenge places another contentious issue before the courts less than two weeks before voters determine the makeup of the next Congress.