Judge dismisses DOJ suit over Alaska Senate ballot confusion

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department on Sunday, clearing the path for the certification of Alaska’s U.S. Senate race results. The suit had sought to block certification if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses to Democrat Mary Peltola. This decision resolves a major legal hurdle in one of the most closely watched races of the 2026 election.

The legal dispute centered on the presence of retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan on the November 3 ranked-choice ballot. His name closely resembles the incumbent's, leading to concerns that voters might mistakenly cast ballots for the retiree. President Donald Trump supported the federal lawsuit, arguing the second candidate was a decoy designed to siphon votes from the senator. The state of Alaska argued the case lacked merit because it would be impossible to determine voter intent without violating privacy protections.

U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason ruled that the relief requested by the federal government was infeasible. She noted that many voters had already cast their ballots during early voting. Gleason wrote that the United States provided no workable plan to segregate ballots cast for Daniel J. Sullivan while preserving voter secrecy. She also cited the Purcell principle, which advises against changing election rules close to Election Day. The judge stated that the attempt to block certification ran counter to the Constitution's grant of election authority to the states.

Shortly after the ruling, the Justice Department filed a notice of appeal. A department spokesperson stated that Alaskan voters deserve a fair election and should not be misled in an attempt to rig outcomes. The department's statement noted that Judge Gleason dismissed the case on procedural grounds but did not dispute the argument that Dan J. Sullivan entered the race as a frivolous candidate to confuse voters. Attorneys for the Alaska Department of Law, who argued the federal complaint was meritless, did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Mary Peltola’s campaign hailed the decision as a victory for democracy. Devan Barber, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said the ruling was a clear message that no one can toss out free and fair elections just because they dislike the result. Peltola’s campaign also referenced a recent federal probe, stating that no baseless lawsuit from a weaponized Justice Department would stop Alaskans from electing her. The campaign previously claimed it had no involvement in recruiting the second Sullivan, despite recent reports suggesting otherwise.

Senator Dan Sullivan told CNN on Sunday that he expects to lose a lot of votes to the other candidate. He doubted claims that Peltola was unaware her political aides were involved in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan. The president posted on social media on Sunday that the fake Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. has disappeared and that nobody can find him. Dan J. Sullivan, who received about 2.5% of the primary vote, has not responded to multiple messages from reporters in recent days.

The Justice Department escalated a criminal investigation on Thursday by issuing new grand jury subpoenas. The FBI has begun contacting people who donated to Dan J. Sullivan to ask if they were misled about which candidate they were supporting. The next scheduled step is the November 3 ranked-choice election, where voters will rank their choices among the four candidates.