Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Justice Department's lawsuit over Alaska's Senate election on Saturday. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said the department "should never have filed" the case 1.
The suit centers on two Senate candidates with nearly identical names: incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan and retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. The race could help decide control of the Senate 1.
What Blanche said
In a post on X, Blanche said the suit "does not seek to stop any ballot from being cast or to stop the certification of Alaska's election" 12. He said it aims to make sure ballots are preserved so that only Alaska's election officials have the information needed to decide whether voters were confused 1.
He also said Justice Department attorneys wrote the lawsuit and the department did not coordinate with any campaign or candidate 1.
From Channel GOPPeltola: Tariffs doubled Alaska air taxi's parts billMary Peltola · 140 plays · captioned, with the source named
Newsweek, however, reports that the department is seeking to block certification if Sullivan loses by fewer votes than Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. receives, pending an investigation into possible voter confusion 1.
Murkowski's rebuke
Murkowski, who has often broken with President Trump, said the state "has already handled this by clearly distinguishing the candidates on this year's ballot" 1. On the ballot, the incumbent appears as Dan S. Sullivan and is labeled "Incumbent" 1.
Trump said Friday that he had told the Justice Department to bring the suit. At a Florida rally the same day, he called the situation "cheating like hell" 1. Trump has endorsed Sullivan 1.
The other side
Democratic nominee Mary Peltola called the suit "a very desperate attempt to cling to power" in an interview with MS Now 2. The Justice Department's filing claims the other Sullivan's sole purpose is to help Peltola by reducing votes for the senator 2.
Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. rejects the claim that his candidacy is illegitimate. State officials had removed him from the ballot, but the courts restored him 1.
A motion to dismiss was filed for two Alaska voters, the League of Women Voters of Alaska and Common Cause. It cites Trump's remark to argue the case was "filed at the behest" of the president, and asks the court to consider sanctions against the department's attorneys 1.
Election-law experts have questioned the case. Mark Brown of Capital University Law School said "no federal statute authorizes the relief the DOJ seeks" 1.
Why it matters
That matters because a Republican senator from the affected state is publicly saying the Justice Department should not have brought this case. Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority, and Peltola is seeking to become Alaska's first elected Democratic senator since Mark Begich won in 2008 1.
Alaska uses ranked-choice voting. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of first choices, the lowest finisher is eliminated and those ballots go to voters' next choices 1. The court has not ruled on the dismissal motion, according to the coverage. Election Day is Nov. 3 1.
The Record
Sources
- Newsweek, “Attorney General Defends Alaska Election Lawsuit as Murkowski Pushes Back” (2026-10-24). newsweek.com/todd-blanche-doj-alaska-election-lawsuit-lisa-m
- The Hill, “Blanche: DOJ lawsuit not trying to 'stop the certification of Alaska's election'” (2026-10-24). thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6170303-blanche-denies-alaska-
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