The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit seeking to block the certification of Alaska’s 2026 U.S. Senate election results if Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan loses by a margin smaller than the number of votes cast for another candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who shares his name. The move, directed by President Donald Trump, has sparked significant debate over the potential federal intervention in a state election and raises broader concerns about the administration’s approach to the upcoming midterms.
President Trump publicly confirmed on Friday that he instructed the Justice Department to pursue the legal challenge, stating, “I’m the one that said do it,” during an appearance ahead of a campaign rally in Florida. The lawsuit, filed late Thursday in federal court in Alaska, argues that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.’s candidacy poses a risk of voter confusion that could compromise the election’s integrity. The department contends that this confusion might unfairly affect the outcome if votes intended for the incumbent senator are mistakenly cast for the similarly named challenger.
Senator Sullivan faces a close race against Democrat Mary Peltola, Alaska’s former congresswoman. The lawsuit demands that the state be barred from certifying a Peltola victory if Daniel J. Sullivan remains on the ballot, citing federal law that requires protection of election integrity. Republican officials argue that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. is effectively a Democratic “plant” intended to siphon votes from the incumbent, though Daniel J. Sullivan himself and Democratic representatives have denied any coordination or deceptive intent.
The legal dispute comes less than two weeks before the November 3 election and months after the final ballot was set. Alaska’s Supreme Court previously rejected Republican efforts to remove Daniel J. Sullivan from the ballot, and the state’s Republican election officials decided to list him without a party affiliation, while Senator Sullivan will appear as the Republican incumbent. Alaska employs a ranked-choice voting system, which allows voters to rank candidates and could enable voters to select both candidates if confused.
The move by the Justice Department, signed by Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, represents an uncommon attempt by the federal government to potentially interfere with the certification process of a state-run federal election. Legal experts note that the U.S. Constitution grants states primary authority over election administration, with Congress responsible for establishing voting standards. University of Notre Dame law professor Derek Muller characterized the lawsuit as unlikely to succeed, describing the legal basis as tenuous and expecting courts to dismiss it if the race does not come down to a very narrow margin.
Attorney General Todd Blanche acknowledged that the department does not intend to improperly interfere with elections but declined to rule out intervention under extreme circumstances. The lawsuit has intensified concerns among Democrats and voting rights advocates who view it as part of a broader pattern of political interference reminiscent of prior unfounded challenges by the Trump administration to election results it found unfavorable.
Senator Sullivan’s campaign did not confirm the senator’s position on the Justice Department’s action, stating they would “let the DOJ complaint run its course” and emphasizing the senator’s record. Peltola’s campaign condemned the lawsuit as a “despicable political threat” aimed at suppressing voter voices.
Alaska’s population of approximately 740,000, combined with its ranked-choice voting and delayed counting process, has made the state a focal point for election litigation amid a closely contested midterm that could influence control of the U.S. Senate. The contested race underscores ongoing tensions over election administration and the role of federal authorities in state electoral processes.