Trump administration sues to block Senate race certification in Alaska if Republican loses

On Friday, October 23, 2026, the Justice Department filed a federal complaint seeking to block certification of Alaska's U.S. Senate race if incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses but would have won had votes cast for fellow candidate Daniel J. Sullivan been counted for him. The ranked-choice general election ballot lists Dan Sullivan, Daniel J. Sullivan, Mary Peltola and Gerald Heikes. The filing states that Daniel J. Sullivan's presence "threatens to mislead Alaskan citizens who want to vote for Senator Sullivan." The department argues that certifying a result shaped by that confusion would violate the National Voter Registration Act, and it asks the court to withhold certification in that narrow case pending an investigation into voter intent. Alaska courts had already permitted Daniel J. Sullivan to remain on the ballot. Alaska approved the election-system change in 2020 and first used ranked-choice voting in 2022. The state has seen unusual Senate outcomes before, including Lisa Murkowski's 2010 write-in victory after a primary defeat. Whether the federal court grants the block, and how any voter-intent inquiry would work, remains unresolved.