Trump administration sues Alaska over second Dan Sullivan on Senate ballot

The federal government sued Alaska and its elections director, Carol Beecher, on Thursday. It says the presence of two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the Senate ballot could produce a "tainted" result, according to Courthouse News. ¹ The suit was filed by the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office for Alaska. ¹

The two men are Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, the incumbent, and Dan J. Sullivan, a former teacher and fishing enthusiast from Petersburg. Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman, is also running. ¹

What the lawsuit asks for

The government argues that "voter confusion" could cost the incumbent his seat. The scenario it describes is one where Sen. Sullivan loses to Peltola but would have won if every vote for Dan J. Sullivan had gone to him instead. ¹

It says that outcome would violate the National Voter Registration Act, a federal law on voter registration. It asks U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason to stop the defendants from certifying any result that may be affected, pending an investigation into whether votes for Dan J. Sullivan were meant for the senator. ¹

From Channel GOPPeltola: Sullivan tripled his wealth while Alaskans struggleMary Peltola · 128 plays · captioned, with the source named

Alaska uses ranked choice voting in its general election, and the two Sullivans are visibly differentiated on the ballot. ¹ Dan J. Sullivan filed as a Republican but will appear with no party label, under a Division of Elections decision. ¹

The history

Alaska's own government fought to keep Dan J. Sullivan off the ballot. Those efforts failed in June, when the Alaska Supreme Court upheld his candidacy. ¹ The senator, other Republicans and state officials, including Beecher, have called him a spoiler candidate. ¹

In August, Alaska Public Media and the Alaska Beacon reported that NBC News, citing unidentified sources, said the Justice Department had issued grand jury subpoenas to learn whether Dan J. Sullivan may have violated federal law. A U.S. attorney's office spokeswoman said policy barred her from confirming or denying an investigation. ² Dan J. Sullivan said then that he had not received a subpoena. ²

Dan J. Sullivan has said he is running out of disappointment with the senator's representation and a desire for change. ¹ Of his campaign, he told Courthouse News in August:

It’s a free country,

President Trump foreshadowed the suit on Wednesday. On Truth Social, he called the candidacy a "SCAM" and said:

We are looking at powerful legal options to remove the fraudulent Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. from the Ballot, and holding the Democrats accountable for their Election Interference, in the pursuit of Justice and Fairness,

The Justice Department and Beecher's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. ¹ The article does not include a comment from Peltola or the Alaska Democratic Party.

What happens next

Judge Gleason has not yet ruled on the request. ¹ Election Day is Nov. 3, so any order about certification, the formal sign-off on final results, could come after voters have already cast ballots.

That matters because the suit does not ask to remove a candidate. It asks to hold up the result if the outcome is close and a federal investigator thinks some votes were misdirected. The pattern is a federal government taking a more active role in how states run this election. A court will now decide whether the law supports that.

The Record

1. Jun 1, 2026The Alaska Supreme Court protected Dan J. Sullivan's candidacy, affirming a lower court decision, after state efforts to block it. ¹
2. Aug 24, 2026Alaska Public Media and the Alaska Beacon reported NBC's account of federal grand jury subpoenas about Dan J. Sullivan; the U.S. attorney's office would neither confirm nor deny. ²
3. Oct 22, 2026The Justice Department sued Alaska and elections director Carol Beecher, asking Judge Sharon Gleason to block certification of any result "impacted by voter confusion." ¹

Sources

1. Courthouse News, “Trump administration sues Alaska over two Dan Sullivans on ballot” (2026-10-23). courthousenews.com/trump-administration-sues-alaska-over-two
2. Alaska Public Media / Alaska Beacon, “Is a U.S. Department of Justice investigation about to disrupt Alaska's U.S. Senate race?” (2026-08-24). alaskapublic.org/news/politics/elections/2026-08-24/is-a-u-s

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