The Justice Department has gone to federal court to stop Alaska from certifying its U.S. Senate result if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan narrowly loses, arguing that a second candidate with nearly the same name is on the ballot to siphon votes away from him, according to the complaint filed in federal court in Alaska and reporting by CBS News and NBC News.
The case centers on Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who filed to run for the Senate in late May and had never run for office before, according to the DOJ complaint. The complaint alleges he got in the race to trick the senator’s supporters into voting for him, and that his candidacy exists only to help Democrat Mary Peltola, the senator’s opponent. CBS News reported that the government accuses him of deliberately seeking to confuse voters.
BREAKING: The Trump administration sues to block Alaska Senate certification if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses as another candidate shares his name. https://t.co/FAVCHpxoRe
— The Associated Press (@AP) October 23, 2026
The department’s filing leans on Alaska’s own election officials. According to the complaint, the state Division of Elections concluded in a June 15 letter that his candidacy was meant to confuse or mislead voters, and CBS News reported the division had found him ineligible because he was allegedly trying to “cause voter confusion.” CBS News reported that state courts later reversed the division’s decision to bar him, and the Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that he could stay on the ballot. His lawyers argued the state “lacked any basis in Alaska law to exclude Mr. Sullivan from the ballot,” CBS News reported.
What the DOJ is asking for
The lawsuit does not seek to overturn a win by either candidate outright. According to NBC News, DOJ wants a court order blocking certification only if Sen. Sullivan loses and if he would have won had the votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan gone to him instead under Alaska’s ranked-choice count. In that case, the department would seek an investigation, CBS News reported.
The filing argues that some of the senator’s backers “likely will inadvertently vote for Daniel J. Sullivan,” and that others “might not rank Senator Sullivan at all,” according to CBS News. A DOJ spokesperson told CBS News the complaint was filed “to ensure that this frivolous candidacy does not undermine the integrity of Alaska’s election or the will of its voters.” The department says the candidacy violates the National Voter Registration Act, CBS News reported.
According to the sample ballot in the DOJ filing, as described by CBS News, the challenger is listed first as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.” with no party, while the senator appears next as “Sullivan, Dan S. (Registered Republican) Incumbent.” Gerald Heikes is also on the four-way ballot, CBS News reported.
Trump: “I’m the one that said, ‘do it'”
President Trump called the dueling Sullivans “totally confusing” and “CHEATING” in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, according to CBS News, writing that it was “ridiculous that the Court didn’t stop this SCAM.” Asked about the lawsuit on Friday, Trump told reporters, “Well, I’m the one that said, ‘do it,'” CBS News reported.
Not every Republican is on board. Sen. Lisa Murkowski wrote on X that the department “should never have filed this lawsuit,” adding that “the State of Alaska has already handled this by clearly distinguishing the candidates on this year’s ballot,” according to CBS News and the Associated Press.
Peltola’s campaign spokesperson, Harry Child, called the suit “a despicable political threat to overturn an election” in a statement to CBS News. Peltola herself wrote on X that Sullivan is “using his DC allies to try to keep himself in power.”
The race is one of the closest Senate contests in the country, with Election Day set for November 3. How a federal judge handles the case before then could shape how Alaska counts and certifies one of the seats deciding control of the Senate.
Sources
Sources cited
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-admin-sues-to-block-alaska-senate-certification-if-sen-dan-sullivan-loses/
- https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/trump-justice-department-lawsuit-alaska-senate-rcna605229
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/10/23/doj-seeks-block-alaska-senate-result-if-republican-incumbent-narrowly-loses/
- https://x.com/MaryPeltola/status/2113716898559091140
Sources
- Original post: The Associated Press (@AP) on X, Oct 23, 2026
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