Trump administration sues to block possible Democratic win in Alaska
News Source
โขFri, 23 Oct 2026 17:57:54 +0000
๐ฐ What Happened
The US Justice Department has sued to stop Alaska's Senate result from being certified. The filing came on Thursday, a little over a week before the midterm elections. Officials argue that an independent candidate named Daniel J Sullivan is running only to confuse voters.
He has almost the same name as Dan Sullivan, the Republican senator fighting to keep his seat. The lawsuit asks a federal judge to delay certification so investigators can check whether some votes were meant for the senator. Trump took credit for the case. He told reporters in Florida: โI'm the one that said 'do it'.โ
๐ The Backstory
Alaska has used ranked-choice voting since 2020. Voters rank the candidates in order, and the winner is decided in rounds. Supporters say this gives voters more choice and rewards candidates with broad appeal.
The Justice Department rarely steps into how states run elections, because that job normally belongs to state officials. This case also lands in a race Democrats hope to win, which could help decide who controls the Senate. Senator Sullivan has held the seat since 2015.
๐ฏ Why It Matters
If a court can pause an election result, voters may start to doubt that their ballots count. The case also tests how much power Washington has over state-run elections.
The US Justice Department has sued to stop Alaska's Senate result from being certified. The filing came on Thursday, a little over a week before the midterm elections. Officials argue that an independent candidate named Daniel J Sullivan is running only to confuse voters.
He has almost the same name as Dan Sullivan, the Republican senator fighting to keep his seat. The lawsuit asks a federal judge to delay certification so investigators can check whether some votes were meant for the senator. Trump took credit for the case. He told reporters in Florida: โI'm the one that said 'do it'.โ
Alaska has used ranked-choice voting since 2020. Voters rank the candidates in order, and the winner is decided in rounds. Supporters say this gives voters more choice and rewards candidates with broad appeal.
The Justice Department rarely steps into how states run elections, because that job normally belongs to state officials. This case also lands in a race Democrats hope to win, which could help decide who controls the Senate. Senator Sullivan has held the seat since 2015.
If a court can pause an election result, voters may start to doubt that their ballots count. The case also tests how much power Washington has over state-run elections.