DOJ Seeks to Halt Alaska Senate Certification Over Voter‑Confusion Claim

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to stop the certification of Alaska’s Senate race if incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan does not win in November. DOJ argues that votes cast for another GOP candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan, were meant to mislead voters and could have swung the result in favor of Democratic challenger former Rep. Mary Peltola. Four candidates – Dan Sullivan, Daniel J. Sullivan, Mary Peltola and Republican Gerald Heikes – have qualified for the general election, which uses ranked‑choice voting.

What Happened

DOJ’s filing on Friday warned that voters could accidentally select the wrong Sullivan and might fail to rank the incumbent, risking a loss. The Alaska Supreme Court in June upheld a lower‑court order letting Daniel J. Sullivan remain on the ballot, overturning a state Division of Elections decision that deemed him ineligible for causing voter confusion.

Reaction

Daniel J. Sullivan’s lawyers said Alaska law does not give officials the power to exclude a qualified candidate based on potential confusion. A DOJ spokesperson said the suit aims to protect the integrity of Alaska’s election and the will of its voters.

Context

Alaska moved to ranked‑choice voting in 2022 after changing its election system in 2020 to curb polarization. The state previously saw an unusual outcome in 2010 when Sen. Lisa Murkowski won a write‑in campaign after losing the GOP primary.