A federal judge has dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit that attempted to block the certification of Alaska Senate election results if the Republican incumbent loses the race. U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason ruled that the federal government lacks the legal standing to bring the lawsuit, which cited the National Voter Registration Act.
Court Ruling and Voting Rights Defense
The administration’s lawsuit asked the court to halt state election certification to investigate whether voters experienced confusion from two similarly named candidates on Alaska’s ranked-choice ballot. Judge Gleason concluded that issuing such an order would likely violate the constitutional right of Alaskan voters to a secret ballot.
Kiersten Pels, a Justice Department spokesperson, told NPR in a statement that the agency plans to appeal the decision, stating that Alaskan voters deserve a fair election.
Voting rights organizations that intervened to defend the state celebrated the outcome. Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Voting Rights Project, stated that the federal government’s attempt to dismiss the results before a single ballot was counted was lawless and a reckless waste of taxpayer funds.
Similar Names and Investigation Controversy
President Trump stated he ordered the lawsuit because four candidates appear on the ballot, including two with similar names: Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan and unaffiliated candidate Daniel Sullivan Jr. The Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that Sullivan Jr. is legally permitted to run after the state’s Republican Party previously attempted to keep him off the ballot.
Republican claims that Democrats recruited Sullivan Jr. to siphon votes from the incumbent gained renewed attention following a report by The New York Times. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation into the matter and indicated that state certification of the race could be affected depending on the findings.
During an interview with NewsNation, Governor Dunleavy stated that if wrongdoing is discovered, the certification could be stopped or changed. U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman confirmed during a press conference in Anchorage that the Justice Department maintains an ongoing criminal probe.
Democratic candidate and former Representative Mary Peltola has denied any involvement in the recruitment efforts. Meanwhile, incumbent Senator Sullivan stated in an interview with CNN that he will accept the final election results regardless of whether he wins or loses.
More than 86,700 Alaskans cast ballots during the early voting period, according to figures from the Alaska Division of Elections, with additional turnout anticipated as voting proceeds through Election Day.
