DOJ sues over potential voter confusion in Alaska Senate race
Caroline MolloyPresident Donald Trump said Oct. 23 that he directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to sue over potential voter confusion in Alaska’s Senate race, seeking to block certification under certain conditions if Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan loses.
The lawsuit, filed Oct. 22 in federal court in Alaska, alleges that another candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., entered the race to mislead the senator’s supporters and help Democratic challenger and former U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola win.
The department is asking a judge to prevent certification if the incumbent loses but would have won had votes for the other Sullivan instead been cast for him through Alaska’s ranked-choice process. The requested order would halt certification pending an investigation into whether voters who cast ballots for the other Sullivan intended to support the senator.
“The sole purpose of [Dan J. Sullivan’s] candidacy is to benefit the Peltola campaign by reducing the number of votes for Senator Sullivan,” the complaint states.
Under Alaska’s ranked-choice system, if no candidate receives a majority of active ballots initially, election officials eliminate the candidate with the fewest votes and count those ballots for each voter’s next-ranked remaining candidate. The process repeats until a candidate receives a majority of active ballots.
Speaking to reporters about the lawsuit Oct. 23, Trump said, “I’m the one that said do it.”
The President described the other Sullivan as a fake candidate put up by Democrats to confuse voters. Standing alongside Trump, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis added that “Daniel J. just so happens to be funded by liberal donors.” Trump interjected, “By ActBlue.”
