DOJ Sues to Block Alaska Senate Certification if Democrat Wins

The Justice Department sued Alaska, asking a federal court to prevent certification of Senate election results it says may be affected by confusion between incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan and independent candidate Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher. Filed 11 days before Election Day, the suit would most directly affect the race if Democrat Mary Peltola wins; the DOJ alleges the second Sullivan’s candidacy could mislead voters and divert support from the incumbent, though reporting cited no evidence of coordination. The Alaska Supreme Court had rejected an earlier effort to remove Daniel J. Sullivan from the ballot, which identifies Dan S. Sullivan as the Republican and permits voters under ranked-choice voting to select both candidates. President Trump has called the candidacy “cheating,” and the lawsuit has raised concerns about federal intervention in state election certification.