DOJ Seeks to Block Alaska Senate Certification

The Trump administration’s Justice Department sued Alaska officials, seeking to block certification of the state’s U.S. Senate result if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses and to investigate whether votes for namesake candidate Daniel J. Sullivan were intended for him. President Trump said he directed the department to file the case, an unusual pre-election intervention in a closely watched race that could affect control of the Senate. Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, is also a Republican but appears on the ballot without a party designation; he says he entered independently, and the Alaska Supreme Court previously allowed him to remain on the ballot. Democrat Mary Peltola, who is challenging the incumbent, called the suit an attempt to silence voters, while Dan Sullivan’s campaign said it had no prior knowledge of or role in the lawsuit. Election-law observers and attorneys have questioned the suit’s legal basis and the practicality of determining voter intent after ballots are cast.