Judge dismisses DOJ Alaska election challenge
The Justice Department plans to appeal after a federal judge rejected its request to delay certification of the state’s Senate race.
By Beatriz Bailey ·
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department on Sunday, ending the administration's attempt to pause the certification of Alaska's Senate election results.
The legal action sought to delay or block certification while officials investigated potential voter confusion caused by two candidates with nearly identical names. Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan and his challenger, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., both appeared on the ballot under similar identifiers.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason ruled that the government failed to demonstrate how a criminal investigation could determine voter intent without violating ballot secrecy. She noted that the requested relief would interfere with Alaska's constitutional duty to manage its own elections.
The Justice Department stated it will appeal the decision to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Officials argued that Judge Gleason dismissed the case on procedural grounds without fully addressing the claim that Sullivan Jr. entered the race specifically to confuse voters.
The dispute has intensified scrutiny on the campaign in the days leading up to the midterm elections. Reports from The New York Times indicated that individuals connected to the campaign of Democratic nominee Mary Peltola helped recruit Sullivan Jr. to act as a spoiler. Peltola has denied her campaign's involvement, and Sullivan Jr. has said he did not coordinate with her team.
Senator Sullivan said on Sunday that he will accept the outcome of Tuesday's vote, even though the Trump administration continues a criminal probe into Sullivan Jr.'s candidacy. The incumbent accused the challenger of attempting to muddle the ballot for voters.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, has hinted he might refuse to certify a victory for Peltola. Senator Sullivan has not confirmed whether he would support such a move. The race uses ranked-choice voting, a system that eliminates lower-ranked candidates in sequential rounds if no single candidate secures a majority in the initial count.
Source: Fox News
