Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Justice Department’s lawsuit over Alaska’s closely watched Senate election on Saturday, as Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said the department “should never have filed” the case. The unusual legal battle centers on two Senate candidates who share the same first and last names: incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan and retired teacher Daniel J.
The dispute comes in a race that could help determine control of the Senate. Blanche said in a post on X that the Justice Department “does not seek to stop any ballot from being cast or to stop the certification of Alaska’s election.” “This litigation seeks to ensure that after Alaskans cast their ballots, they are preserved in a manner so that only Alaska’s governing officials have the information necessary to make a determination as to whether Alaskan voters were confused or mislead [sic],” Blanche wrote. He added: “The lawsuit was written by Justice Department attorneys and the Department did not coordinate with any campaign or candidate, but rather relied solely on federal law.” The statement comes after President Donald Trump said Friday that he had told the DOJ to bring the lawsuit.
Trump has endorsed the incumbent Sullivan and repeatedly alleged that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.’s candidacy was intended to confuse voters and hurt the senator. At a rally in Florida on Friday, Trump called the situation “cheating like hell.” Newsweek reached out to Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign, Senator Sullivan’s campaign, Daniel J.
Sullivan Jr. and the Alaska Division of Elections for comment on Saturday. Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who has frequently broken with Trump, pushed back against the Justice Department’s case on Saturday. Sullivan and is labeled “Incumbent,” while the other candidate is listed as Daniel J.
Alaska election officials removed Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. from the ballot after concluding his candidacy was intended to confuse or mislead voters, but he challenged the decision and was later restored to the ballot by the courts. The Justice Department filed its lawsuit Thursday against Alaska and state election officials, alleging that Daniel J.
Sullivan Jr.’s candidacy was intended to mislead voters into backing him instead of the incumbent. The DOJ contends the “sole purpose” of his candidacy is to benefit Peltola by reducing the number of votes cast for Senator Sullivan. The DOJ is seeking to block certification if Senator Sullivan loses by fewer votes than Daniel J.
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