Trump team files lawsuit to block certification of Alaska Senate race if Republican loses

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit to prevent the certification of Alaska's Senate race if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses while another candidate with the same name is on the ballot.The legal action launches what many expect to be a drawn-out struggle between federal authorities and state officials over election certification in a state where the president's party is struggling.Figures across the political spectrum view Alaska as a pivotal battleground, where Sullivan faces Democrat Mary Peltola. Also appearing on the ballot is Daniel J. Sullivan, who hails from the small fishing community of Petersburg. He maintains he entered the race independently, but Republicans claim he is a Democratic plant seeking to strip away votes.The Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit in Alaska on Thursday requesting that state officials be barred from certifying a Peltola win if the other Sullivan stays on the ballot. Sen. Dan Sullivan speaks with Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick during a campaign rally with Trump on October 13, 2026 in Wasilla, Alaska (Getty Images)"The United States accordingly brings this lawsuit to protect the integrity of the 2026 Senate election in Alaska," the suit asserts, arguing federal law mandates state protection of federal election integrity.Republican efforts to remove the other Sullivan were previously rejected by the Alaska Supreme Court, with state Republican officials determining how candidates appear on the ballot. The non-incumbent Sullivan is listed without party affiliation, while the senator is shown as the Republican incumbent. Alaska's ranked choice voting system permits voters to select both individuals if they’re confused.Trump’s Department of Justice has increasingly functioned to bolster the president's political operation, pursuing lawsuits against Democratic-controlled states and targeting political opponents ahead of the election. Voting rights advocates and Democrats have warned that the Trump administration might attempt to block election certifications if the president's party loses, echoing efforts following his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.Democrat Mary Peltola ahead of a debate with Sen. Dan Sullivan on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026 (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)Earlier Thursday, Attorney General Todd Blanche told journalists that such actions were improbable outside extreme circumstances. "It is not DOJ’s intention to and it’s never our intention to improperly interfere with elections or the state certification process," he said in Virginia.Derek Muller, a Notre Dame University law professor, said the legal challenge would likely only matter if Republicans narrowly lose the Alaska contest, adding that it lacks legal basis. "The statute simply doesn't let the Department of Justice enjoin certification," he explained.