Trump Administration Sues to Block Alaska Senate Certification

Source reports published 23 Oct 2026, 10:00 am – 24 Oct 2026, 6:57 am AEST

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit seeking to delay certification of Alaska’s Senate election due to concerns that a candidate named Dan Sullivan is misleading voters and potentially diverting votes from the incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. The Justice Department is investigating whether votes cast for the other Daniel Sullivan were intended for the senator.

What happened

• The US Department of Justice, under the Trump administration, initiated a lawsuit in Alaska’s federal court seeking to block the certification of the Senate election if Republican Senator Dan Sullivan loses to Democrat Mary Peltola.
• The lawsuit centers on the presence of a second candidate also named Dan Sullivan, Daniel J. Sullivan, who is a Forest Service employee from Petersburg.
• The Justice Department argues that this candidate is deliberately attempting to mislead voters and distort the election’s outcome.
• Spokesperson Harry Child of Peltola’s campaign described the action as a "despicable political threat."
• Trump stated he ordered the lawsuit, and the Justice Department contends that allowing the other Sullivan to remain on the ballot "threatens to mislead Alaskan citizens."
• The lawsuit alleges that supporters of the other Sullivan may inadvertently vote for him instead of Senator Sullivan, and that the confusion could impact the ranking of Republican candidates.
• The Alaska Supreme Court previously ruled that Daniel J. Sullivan could remain on the ballot, rejecting a state Division of Elections decision to disqualify him for allegedly causing voter confusion.

Original reporting

• Al Jazeera: Trump administration sues to block possible Democratic win in Alaska
  2026-10-23T00:00:00+00:00
• PBS NewsHour: WATCH: Trump says he ordered DOJ lawsuit over Alaska Senate race
  2026-10-23T15:14:18+00:00
• CBS News: Trump admin. sues to block Alaska Senate certification if Sen. Dan Sullivan loses
  2026-10-23T15:42:00+00:00
• Washington Examiner: Trump says he personally ordered DOJ lawsuit intervening in Alaska Senate bid
  2026-10-23T20:57:01+00:00