The U.S. Department of Justice sued on Oct. 22 to block certification of Alaska’s U.S. Senate election, asking a federal court to intervene in a dispute over whether the presence of two candidates with the same surname could confuse voters.
Case filed in federal court
The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska as United States v. State of Alaska, Case No. 3:26-cv, was assigned to U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason. The suit seeks an order preventing the state from certifying the outcome of the Senate contest while the legal challenge is pending.
- The litigation centers on two candidates: incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan and a challenger identified as Dan J. Sullivan.
- Alaska election officials previously ruled the challenger ineligible in June, saying his filing was “for the purpose of confusing or misleading voters,” but an appeal allowed him onto the August primary ballot.
- Election officials plan to distinguish the candidates by including middle initials on the ballot.
In the August primary, the challenger received about 2.5% of the vote and finished third. The senator’s campaign and Republican allies have complained that the similarly named candidate could siphon votes from the incumbent. Some Republicans have suggested the candidacy was intended to affect the outcome; the senator’s campaign has blamed Democratic-aligned interests for the filing, an allegation denied by the Alaska Democratic Party and allies of former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, who is running for the seat.
Background and positions
The Alaska Division of Elections initially determined the challenger was ineligible and removed him from the ballot in June, concluding the filing was made to mislead voters. After the decision was overturned on appeal, the candidate appeared on the state’s August primary ballot.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit contends the dual candidacies raise legal and administrative questions that warrant federal court review before the state proceeds to certify the election results. The complaint was filed by the DOJ in Anchorage on Oct. 22.
Mary Peltola and her political allies have denied any involvement with the challenger’s campaign. The lawsuit does not rely on claims of coordination by named Democratic groups; the public record cited in filings includes the administrative history with the Alaska Division of Elections and the outcome of the primary vote.
The case is pending before Judge Gleason, the senior judge on the District of Alaska. The court docket lists the action as United States v. State of Alaska.
