The US Justice Department has sued to stop Alaska from certifying the result of its Senate election unless Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan wins, arguing that votes cast for a candidate with the same name could have changed the outcome.
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday in federal court, asks a judge to bar certification if Sullivan loses and votes for Daniel J. Sullivan Jr, a retired teacher, were enough to alter the result under Alaska's ranked-choice system.
Two Sullivans on one ballot
Daniel J. Sullivan Jr entered the race in May. He has said he is not affiliated with the senator and lives in a remote fishing village. Alaska's Supreme Court ruled months ago that both men could appear on the ballot, rejecting an attempt to remove the challenger.
The department's filing says the court should act "to protect the integrity of the 2026 Senate election in Alaska." It was signed by Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward.
Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the case on Sunday. He said the department wanted to put "guardrails" in place and was not asking a court to prevent certification outright.
Trump says he ordered it
President Donald Trump said on Friday that he was the one who ordered the lawsuit, and he repeated his support for the incumbent at a rally in Alaska. Sullivan faces Democrat Mary Peltola, a former US representative.
Alaska awards its Senate seat under a system approved by voters in 2020: a top-four primary followed by ranked-choice voting in the general election. Under that system, a voter's first choice can be eliminated and the ballot transferred to a later preference.
Legal questions
Election law specialists said the suit faces a high bar. Derek Muller of Notre Dame Law School asked how a court could determine which of the two Sullivans a voter intended, given that both names appeared on the same ballot and voters were told they were different people.
Democrats described the lawsuit as an attempt to inject chaos into a contest Trump carried by double digits in 2024. Alaska election officials said they would respond in court and would follow state law on certification.
The election is on 3 November. A ruling before certification would have to come quickly.