Democratic groups and voting-rights advocates asked a federal court on Friday to let them join a Justice Department lawsuit. The suit seeks to stop Alaska from certifying its U.S. Senate results if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses 1. They are seeking to join as defendants, not filing a new case 1.
The requests came from Mary Peltola's campaign, Alaskans for Mary, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (the party's Senate campaign arm). A second filing came from the League of Women Voters of Alaska, Common Cause and two individual voters 1.
What the Justice Department wants
The department filed its suit on Oct. 22. It asks for an order barring Alaska from certifying the Senate election if the incumbent loses 1. President Trump told reporters on Friday that he directed the filing 12.
The dispute centers on a second candidate on the ballot, Daniel J. Sullivan, who shares a near-identical name with the senator. State officials first removed him after a complaint from the Alaska Republican Party, but state courts ordered him back on 1. In June the Alaska Supreme Court affirmed that and told officials to clearly distinguish the two men 1.
From Channel GOPPeltola: Tariffs doubled Alaska air taxi's parts billMary Peltola · 140 plays · captioned, with the source named
The ballot lists the senator as the "incumbent" and a Republican. The other Sullivan has no party listed 1. He lives in Petersburg and says he is running on his own 2.
The suit asks the court to block certification until an investigation decides whether enough voters were fooled by the two names to swing the race 2. The filings say the department has offered no way to learn whether voters who chose Daniel J. Sullivan meant to vote for the incumbent 1. The AP notes that votes are supposed to be confidential 2.
The Democrats' argument
Peltola's campaign and the DSCC say the suit threatens their interests. It could keep Peltola from taking office even if she wins under Alaska's ranked-choice system 1. They also question whether state officials will defend the case vigorously, since the state elections division once tried to keep Daniel J. Sullivan off the ballot 1.
They say the National Voter Registration Act, which the department cites, has no provision letting the federal government dictate candidate eligibility or ballot layout. Under the Constitution those are state matters, they argue 1. Legal experts told the AP the suit has no chance of success and rests on vague preamble language 2.
I'm the one that said 'do it.'
The league and Common Cause warn that blocking certification would disenfranchise Alaskans and inject chaos into the outcome 1. The Democratic groups say they will move to dismiss the case if the judge lets them in 1.
Why it matters
The AP calls this the Trump administration's first step to block the result of a midterm election. It says the suit is essentially a placeholder that matters only if the incumbent loses 2. The race is likely to be decided by a few thousand votes and could decide control of the Senate 2.
On Thursday, Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to rule out intervening in a worst-case scenario. He said the department never intends to improperly interfere with elections or the state certification process. Hours later the department filed this suit 2.
The Department of Justice should never have filed this lawsuit.
What happens next is a ruling on whether the groups may join. No court date was reported in the filings described by the wire services. Election Day is Nov. 3, and early voting is already underway 1.
The Record
- The Alaska Supreme Court affirmed that Daniel J. Sullivan stays on the ballot and ordered officials to clearly distinguish him from the senator (June; exact day not given in the wire copy) 1.
- The Justice Department sued to block Alaska from certifying the Senate election if the incumbent loses 1.
- Peltola's campaign, the DSCC, and voting-rights groups asked to join the case as defendants 1.
Sources
- CNBC, “Democrats, voting-rights groups challenge Trump's bid to block Alaska Senate certification” (2026-10-24). cnbc.com/2026/10/24/alaska-senate-doj-certification-lawsuit.
- PBS NewsHour (AP), “What's going on with Dan Sullivan and Dan Sullivan? The Alaska Senate litigation, explained” (2026-10-24). pbs.org/newshour/politics/whats-going-on-with-dan-sullivan-a
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