The Trump administration has raised concerns over the potential outcome of Alaska’s Senate race, describing a narrow Democratic win as a tainted victory. This stems from the presence of a candidate sharing a similar name to the Republican incumbent, Dan Sullivan, on the ballot.
In a lawsuit filed last week, the Justice Department argued against certifying the election results if Democratic challenger Mary Peltola wins by a margin less than the votes received by retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.
“Many polls indicate that the race between Senator Sullivan and Peltola will be within one or two percentage points,” the filing stated. “Mr. Sullivan received 2.5% of the vote in the primary election. Thus, there is a realistic chance that Mr. Sullivan’s presence on the ballot will result in a tainted victory for Peltola.”
The Justice Department also requested that the court deny Peltola’s campaign and the League of Women Voters of Alaska from intervening in the case. If allowed, they plan to file motions to dismiss.
“Beyond positing hypothetical future motives, Proposed Intervenors fail to even allege how they would be litigating this case differently than Defendants,” the Department stated. It criticized potential interventions as likely to fill the docket with duplicative motions full of charged (and inaccurate) rhetoric.
The lawsuit names Alaska and its election officials as defendants.
This filing follows a series of quick legal actions. Presiding Judge Sharon L. Gleason set an emergency schedule this week. The government had until 5 p.m. on Tuesday to respond. Peltola’s campaign and the voting rights groups have until noon on Wednesday for their replies. The judge plans to decide on the motions by 5 p.m. on Thursday.
On the ballot, the incumbent Senator is identified as “Dan Sullivan” and a “Republican,” while his namesake opponent is “Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.” with no party affiliation.
This situation continues to develop, with further updates expected soon.