Alaska Senate Race: Federal Court Blocks Trump Bid to Halt Certification
A judge ruled Sunday that the Justice Department lacks standing to stop the state from certifying election results.
By Fatou Kim ·
The Trump administration’s legal effort to pause the certification of Alaska’s Senate race was dismissed on Sunday by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason ruled that the federal government did not have the legal standing to file the lawsuit. The case sought to prevent state officials from certifying results if Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan lost the election.
The Justice Department had relied on the preamble of the National Voter Registration Act to argue for the intervention. The suit requested a court order to halt certification and allow for an investigation into potential voter confusion. Officials pointed to the presence of two candidates with similar names on the ranked-choice ballot: Sen. Dan Sullivan and independent candidate Daniel Sullivan Jr.
Gleason, a nominee of former President Barack Obama, found that the requested relief would likely infringe on voters’ right to a secret ballot. She noted that the United States provided no explanation for how it could redress its alleged injury while maintaining ballot secrecy. The judge described this lack of detail as telling in her written decision.
The Justice Department plans to appeal the ruling. Spokesperson Kiersten Pels stated that Alaskan voters deserve a fair election and should not be misled in an attempt to rig outcomes. Voting rights groups that defended the state against the suit expressed relief at the decision.
Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, called the lawsuit lawless from the start. She described the action as a reckless waste of taxpayer money aimed at silencing hundreds of thousands of Alaska voters. The controversy stems from a New York Times report alleging that Democratic operatives recruited Sullivan Jr. to spoil the race, a claim the administration has not independently confirmed.
President Trump said he ordered the lawsuit because of the similar names on the ballot. Alaska’s Republican Party had previously tried to remove Sullivan Jr. from the ballot in state court, but the Alaska Supreme Court allowed him to run in June. Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered a separate investigation and indicated that the state may delay certification depending on its findings.
Former Rep. Mary Peltola, the Democratic candidate, has denied involvement in the strategy. Incumbent Sullivan said Sunday that he would accept the results whether he wins or loses. Over 86,700 voters have already cast ballots during early voting, according to the Alaska Division of Elections. Voting continues through Tuesday’s Election Day.
