Alaska Urges Court to End Trump Administration’s Senate Ballot Lawsuit

Alaska’s Republican-led attorney general’s office asked a federal judge on October 31 to permanently dismiss the Trump administration’s lawsuit over the state’s competitive U.S. Senate race. The suit seeks to prevent certification if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses to Democrat Mary Peltola, unless the senator is declared the winner.

The Justice Department argues that Peltola’s campaign helped recruit a retired teacher, Daniel J. Sullivan, who shares the senator’s name, and that voters could mistake one candidate for the other. Peltola has denied involvement. The administration amended its lawsuit this week after reports alleging her campaign’s role; those reports cited a former campaign manager who later tried to retract her statements.

The Justice Department also asked the court to separate ballots ranking Daniel J. Sullivan while it examines whether voters were confused. Alaska officials said the proposal was unclear and could not be carried out without compromising ballot secrecy. They said the ballot identifies the incumbent as a Republican and the other candidate as Daniel J. Sullivan, and noted that the state Supreme Court approved the latter’s name for the ballot months ago.

Alaska also challenged the administration’s basis for intervening in an election whose certification is handled by the state. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason set October 31 as the deadline for arguments on whether to dismiss the case without a hearing. The state asked her to end it with prejudice, allowing ballot counting and certification to proceed without federal intervention.

At a Friday rally, Peltola rejected the allegations. Sen. Sullivan said in a Saturday interview that he believed Peltola knew about the recruitment effort and characterized it as an attempt to mislead voters.

Alaska Pushes Back Against Federal Bid to Interfere in Senate Count

Alaska’s Republican-led attorney general’s office is resisting the Trump administration’s attempt to place conditions on certification of the state’s Senate race. In a filing on October 31, the state asked a federal judge to permanently dismiss the suit, arguing that the administration’s demand to separate ballots is impossible to reconcile with Alaskans’ right to vote in secret.

The Justice Department wants ballots ranking Daniel J. Sullivan, a former educator whose name matches Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, set aside while it examines whether voters were confused. Alaska officials say the ballot distinguishes the two candidates: the senator is identified as the Republican incumbent, while the other is listed as Daniel J. Sullivan. The state Supreme Court approved the second candidate’s name months ago.

The administration’s case seeks to stop certification if Democrat Mary Peltola wins unless the senator is declared the winner. It alleges Peltola’s campaign helped recruit the other Sullivan. Peltola has denied involvement, and at a Friday rally she rejected the accusation.

Alaska also disputes the federal government’s authority to intervene in a state election process. The judge set October 31 as the deadline for arguments on whether to dismiss the case without a hearing. The state wants the suit ended with prejudice so officials can count and certify ballots without what it calls unwarranted federal interference. The administration’s proposed remedy would put ballot secrecy at risk even as the state says its ballot was designed to limit confusion.

Alaska Court Fight Leaves Voter Confusion Claims Unresolved

Alaska’s attorney general’s office wants a federal judge to end the Trump administration’s lawsuit before it can examine concerns that voters may confuse two Senate candidates named Sullivan. The filing, submitted October 31, calls the administration’s proposed ballot separation impossible and asks the court to let the state proceed with counting and certification.

The Justice Department alleges that Democrat Mary Peltola’s campaign helped recruit Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher, to run against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. Peltola denies involvement. The administration says the second candidate’s presence could lead voters to cast ballots they intended for the incumbent, and it seeks to block certification unless the senator is declared the winner.

The state says the ballot identifies the incumbent as a Republican and labels the other candidate Daniel J. Sullivan. It also points to the Alaska Supreme Court’s approval of the second candidate’s name months ago. But those arguments do not themselves resolve the administration’s allegation that the campaign was involved in recruiting him. Sen. Sullivan said Saturday he believed Peltola knew about the effort; she rejected the accusations at a rally the night before.

The judge set October 31 as the deadline for arguments on whether to dismiss the suit without a hearing and is expected to rule soon. Alaska argues the federal government lacks a basis to intervene in state certification. Its position would end the case before the court considers the administration’s request to examine ballots, while the state says that request cannot be carried out without violating voter privacy.