The U.S. Justice Department has filed an unprecedented federal lawsuit in Alaska seeking to block election officials from certifying the U.S. Senate race if Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan narrowly loses to Democrat Mary Peltola. President Donald Trump directed the suit, claiming that non-incumbent candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. is a spoiler intended to cause voter confusion. Democratic challenger Mary Peltola denounced the move as a corrupt threat to overturn the election, while legal experts question the administration's reliance on federal voter registration law.
Justice Department files federal lawsuit against Alaska
- ▪The U.S. Justice Department sued in Anchorage federal court to pause Alaska U.S. Senate certification if incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan loses to Democrat Mary Peltola by less than candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.'s votes, pending voter intent investigation
- ▪Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward signed and filed the federal lawsuit against Alaska election officials seeking to block certification of the Senate election under the National Voter Registration Act
Justice Department arguments regarding candidate confusion
- ▪The Justice Department lawsuit against Alaska election officials cited findings by state election officials that candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. created a website similar to Senator Dan S. Sullivan's campaign website
- ▪The Justice Department suit against Alaska election officials contends that the presence of non-incumbent candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. on the Alaska ballot is a frivolous candidacy designed to confuse voters and distort election integrity
Experts criticize legal basis of lawsuit
- ▪Center for Election Innovation & Research executive director David Becker characterized the Justice Department lawsuit against Alaska election officials as an unprecedented federal intervention in state election certification
- ▪Legal experts including Maureen Edobor and Derek Muller stated that relying on the National Voter Registration Act to delay state election certification lacks strong legal basis
Donald Trump comments on lawsuit and candidate
- ▪President Donald Trump stated publicly on October 23, 2026, that he personally directed the Justice Department to file a lawsuit against Alaska election officials seeking to block certification of Alaska's Senate election
- ▪President Donald Trump posted on social media in October 2026 that candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. was a spoiler candidate placed on the ballot to confuse voters
Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. defends his candidacy
- ▪Candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a former teacher, stated in June 2026 that his candidacy was not a sham and that he was running independently as a qualified citizen
- ▪Candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. stated that he had voted for both Democratic and Republican candidates in the past
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