The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Thursday to block Alaska's Senate election results if incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses. The suit argues that a challenger with the exact same name on the ballot could confuse voters and change the outcome.
Attorneys for the Trump administration claim the presence of Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr. Daniel S, the sitting senator, might be supported by voters misled by a name on the ballot. Sullivan. According to the filing, a senatorial loss would mean the state fails its duty to safeguard election integrity. This legal action was reported by NBC News.
🚨🚨 The DOJ filed a lawsuit threatening to block Alaska's Senate results if Dan Sullivan loses, given that a candidate with the same name entered the race.
In June, metadata showed that Amber Lee, a Democratic operative, wrote the campaign press release for the other Dan Sullivan. She was a huge supporter of Mary Peltola in the past.
@DailyCaller
— Nicole Silverio (@NicoleMSilverio) October 23, 2026
The lawsuit points to a specific risk where voters might accidentally cast their ballots for the wrong man. The document notes that some of Senator Sullivan's backers could mistakenly cast ballots for Daniel J. Sullivan. This mix-up could cost the incumbent his seat in the Senate.
State officials have already flagged this issue. In an August 26 letter, Carol Beecher, Director of the Division of Elections, informed Sullivan that his candidacy declaration did not represent a good-faith run. According to The Daily Caller, she said the tactic aimed to mislead voters into supporting the incorrect Sullivan.
This is the corruption AK is fed up with, and it's why I'm in this race. Sullivan has enriched himself at our expense for 12 years. Now he’s using his DC allies to try to keep himself in power and put his own interests ahead of Alaskans.
We will make sure every Alaskan is heard.
— Mary Peltola (@MaryPeltola) October 23, 2026
The federal complaint argues that the sole purpose of the independent candidate is to help Democrat Mary Peltola. The DOJ filing says, "The sole purpose of [Dan J." The purpose of Sullivan's] candidacy is to aid the Peltola campaign by lowering Senator Sullivan's vote count. This claim was detailed by the Daily Signal.
Trump officials are seeking a court order to stop Alaska from certifying any election results that might be tainted by this confusion. Officials are asked by the suit to avoid certifying any election outcome potentially affected by voter confusion. This request comes while an investigation determines if votes for the independent candidate were meant for the senator.
Alaskans don’t need any help voting for their preferred candidates, and the State of Alaska has already handled this by clearly distinguishing the candidates on this year’s ballot. The Department of Justice should never have filed this lawsuit.
https://t.co/88tGvV0P8O
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) October 24, 2026
Attorney General Todd Blanche informed the press that the DOJ never intends to improperly interfere with elections. He emphasized that the government wants to ensure the process remains fair and accurate for all voters in the state, according to ABC News.
The lawsuit also cites the National Voter Registration Act as a reason for this legal intervention. State Republicans, including Beecher, have portrayed the independent candidate as a spoiler who intends to confuse the electorate. The case will now move through federal court to decide if the results can be certified.