The Trump administration has sued Alaska to block certification of the Senate election if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses to Democrat Mary Peltola. The suit cites a second candidate with the same name, Daniel J. Sullivan, according to CBS News US. Axios also reports the suit, saying it was filed to delay certification of results if the incumbent loses.
The Justice Department’s court filing argues that if Sen. Dan Sullivan loses because of votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan, the election should not be considered valid, according to CBS News US. The government alleges that Daniel J. Sullivan deliberately sought to confuse voters by running with the same ballot name and party affiliation as the incumbent. It also alleges he is potentially diverting votes that would benefit Peltola.
The filing says some of Sen. Sullivan’s supporters "likely will inadvertently vote for Daniel J. Sullivan." The department says his candidacy violates the National Voter Registration Act, according to CBS News US.
The Alaska ranked-choice contest has four candidates: Dan Sullivan, Mary Peltola, Gerald Heikes and Daniel J. Sullivan, a teacher, according to CBS News US. In June, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that Daniel J. Sullivan could remain on the ballot. That decision reversed a state Division of Elections finding that he was ineligible.
President Trump posted on Truth Social that the dueling Sullivans’ presence was "CHEATING." He said his administration was "looking at powerful legal options to remove the fraudulent Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. from the Ballot."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, wrote on X that the department "should never have filed this lawsuit." She said the state had already distinguished the candidates on the ballot. Legal expert David Becker, quoted by PBS NewsHour, said the matter is purely one of state law, that the Justice Department has no role, and that the litigation is unprecedented 11 days before the vote. Those Murkowski and Becker quotes come from a single outlet, and no second source confirms them.
The sources disagree on when the suit was filed. CBS News US says the department made its court filing on Friday. Axios says the Trump administration sued Alaska on Thursday. The sources do not resolve the question.
The accounts also differ on whether Daniel J. Sullivan has voted in Alaska races before. Trump, quoted by PBS NewsHour, said he doesn’t think the candidate "ever voted before." A PBS NewsHour correspondent stated that Daniel J. Sullivan has voted in Alaska races before, "just to be clear."
Several gaps remain. The sources contain no response to the lawsuit from the incumbent’s campaign. Daniel J. Sullivan’s position is known only from his lawyers’ earlier arguments in state court, not from a response to the Justice Department suit. Peltola’s campaign response appears only in CBS News US, and the Alaska state government’s response is not in the sources. The Axios material is limited to a headline and a short excerpt. No court ruling on the Justice Department’s suit has been reported.
According to the department’s complaint, if Sen. Sullivan loses in November but would have won had the other Sullivan’s votes counted for him, the Justice Department would ask for an investigation. Trump has said his administration is looking at legal options to remove Daniel J. Sullivan from the ballot.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.