DNC chair backs El-Sayed and Peltola as Democrats ready for post-election court fights

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin used the final weekend before the midterms to back two Senate nominees in the party's fight for control of the chamber: Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Mary Peltola in Alaska. On Sunday, Martin called Rep. Haley Stevens's endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers a "betrayal" of the party's values ¹. He also posted on X about the Michigan race ¹.

Make no mistake: There is only one choice in the Michigan U.S. Senate race, and it's Abdul El-Sayed.

Peltola's race has already become a legal fight. The Justice Department sued the State of Alaska on Oct. 22. The suit could block or delay certification of the Senate result if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan narrowly loses ³. The department says voters may have been confused by a second candidate with a nearly identical name, Daniel J. Sullivan ³.

President Trump said he personally ordered the lawsuit ⁴. Al Jazeera's live coverage reports that Federal Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed it, calling it "infeasible" because many voters had already cast ballots ¹. Peltola has repeatedly denied knowing of any effort to recruit a second Sullivan ¹.

Why Democrats are preparing

Peltola called the suit a sign of "corruption" and "desperation" when she spoke to reporters on Oct. 23 ⁴. Her attorneys wrote that the only law the Justice Department cites, the National Voter Registration Act, says nothing about how candidates appear on ballots ⁴. Alaska's lawyers made a similar argument. They said that law covers voter registration, not ballot counting or certification ³.

From Channel GOPEl-Sayed answers Trump mangling his nameAbdul El-Sayed · 151 plays · captioned, with the source named

Joshua Douglas, a University of Kentucky law professor, put it this way: "This case is a press release disguised as a lawsuit." ³

The Democratic side has been building for this. The DNC created its first in-house litigation department ahead of the midterms. It is led by Dan Freeman, a former Justice Department trial attorney who spent 15 years at the agency ². The party also keeps using the Elias Law Group, an outside firm, for election cases ².

The DNC says it has voter protection staff in more than 30 states. It plans to "recruit, train, and deploy tens of thousands of observers" for November, according to spokesman Angelo Fernandez Hernandez ².

Republicans are preparing too. Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Joe Gruters said in late August that his party had nearly 180 active election-related lawsuits in 37 states ².

What happens next

Polls close Tuesday, with control of the Senate at stake ¹. Alaska is a different test, because the question there is whether the winner's result will be certified without interference.

That matters because Alaska's case was filed after voting had begun. Judge Gleason criticized its timing, which came months after the Alaska Supreme Court ruled on the ballot ³. Democrats are saying, in effect, that they expect more such fights and want lawyers in place before they start.

The Record

1. Aug 29, 2026The DNC was reported to have launched its first in-house litigation unit, led by former Justice Department attorney Dan Freeman ².
2. Oct 22, 2026The Justice Department sued Alaska over the Senate race, seeking to block or delay certification if Sen. Dan Sullivan narrowly loses ³.
3. Nov 1, 2026Martin backed El-Sayed on X; Al Jazeera reported that Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed the Alaska suit ¹.

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<h2>DNC chair backs El-Sayed and Peltola as Democrats ready for post-election court fights</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Investigations Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/dnc-chair-backs-el-sayed-and-peltola-as-democrats-ready-for-post-election-court">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 1, 2026.</em></p> <p>Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin used the final weekend before the midterms to back two Senate nominees in the party&#39;s fight for control of the chamber: Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and Mary Peltola in Alaska. On Sunday, Martin called Rep. Haley Stevens&#39;s endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers a &quot;betrayal&quot; of the party&#39;s values . He also posted on X about the Michigan race .</p> <blockquote><p>Make no mistake: There is only one choice in the Michigan U.S. Senate race, and it&#39;s Abdul El-Sayed.</p><p>&mdash; Ken Martin, Chair, Democratic National Committee</p></blockquote> <p>Peltola&#39;s race has already become a legal fight. The Justice Department sued the State of Alaska on Oct. 22. The suit could block or delay certification of the Senate result if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan narrowly loses . The department says voters may have been confused by a second candidate with a nearly identical name, Daniel J. Sullivan .</p> <p>President Trump said he personally ordered the lawsuit . Al Jazeera&#39;s live coverage reports that Federal Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed it, calling it &quot;infeasible&quot; because many voters had already cast ballots . Peltola has repeatedly denied knowing of any effort to recruit a second Sullivan .</p> <h2>Why Democrats are preparing</h2> <p>Peltola called the suit a sign of &quot;corruption&quot; and &quot;desperation&quot; when she spoke to reporters on Oct. 23 . Her attorneys wrote that the only law the Justice Department cites, the National Voter Registration Act, says nothing about how candidates appear on ballots . Alaska&#39;s lawyers made a similar argument. They said that law covers voter registration, not ballot counting or certification .</p> <p>Joshua Douglas, a University of Kentucky law professor, put it this way: &quot;This case is a press release disguised as a lawsuit.&quot;</p> <p>The Democratic side has been building for this. The DNC created its first in-house litigation department ahead of the midterms. It is led by Dan Freeman, a former Justice Department trial attorney who spent 15 years at the agency . The party also keeps using the Elias Law Group, an outside firm, for election cases .</p> <p>The DNC says it has voter protection staff in more than 30 states. It plans to &quot;recruit, train, and deploy tens of thousands of observers&quot; for November, according to spokesman Angelo Fernandez Hernandez .</p> <p>Republicans are preparing too. Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Joe Gruters said in late August that his party had nearly 180 active election-related lawsuits in 37 states .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Polls close Tuesday, with control of the Senate at stake . Alaska is a different test, because the question there is whether the winner&#39;s result will be certified without interference.</p> <p>That matters because Alaska&#39;s case was filed after voting had begun. Judge Gleason criticized its timing, which came months after the Alaska Supreme Court ruled on the ballot . Democrats are saying, in effect, that they expect more such fights and want lawyers in place before they start.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/dnc-chair-backs-el-sayed-and-peltola-as-democrats-ready-for-post-election-court">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/dnc-chair-backs-el-sayed-and-peltola-as-democrats-ready-for-post-election-court.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Al Jazeera, “US midterms live: Democrat Stevens endorses el-Sayed's rival in Senate race” (2026-11-01). aljazeera.com/amp/news/liveblog/2026/11/1/us-midterms-live-l
2. YourNews, “DNC Launches First In-House Litigation Unit as Parties Prepare for 2026 Election Fights” (2026-08-29). yournews.com/2026/08/29/7179967/dnc-launches-first-in-house-
3. Alaska Public Media, “State of Alaska says DOJ lawsuit over Senate race has no legal basis” (2026-10-27). alaskapublic.org/news/politics/elections/2026-10-27/state-of
4. Alaska Public Media, “Peltola, Democratic Party move to intervene in DOJ election lawsuit” (2026-10-24). alaskapublic.org/news/politics/2026-10-24/peltola-democratic

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