Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Alaska Senate lawsuit on October 25, 2026, saying the Justice Department wants the state to be able to address possible voter confusion between Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan and another candidate with a similar name.

Key Takeaways

  • The Justice Department is seeking to block certification only if specified conditions are met after the vote.
  • Democratic groups and voting rights advocates are seeking to join the case to oppose the department’s effort.
  • Alaska’s Senate election is scheduled for November 3, 2026.

What the Alaska Senate lawsuit seeks

The lawsuit asks that Alaska not certify the result if Sen. Sullivan loses and if, under the state’s ranked-choice process, he would have won had every vote cast for retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan gone to the incumbent instead.

Blanche said any determination about confusion and its effect would be for a court to decide if there is litigation after the election. He rejected the suggestion that the lawsuit was intended to sway the race toward Republicans. President Donald Trump said he personally ordered the lawsuit.

Ballot dispute and opposition

Republicans have argued that Daniel J. Sullivan is a Democratic plant intended to confuse voters. Democrats say they have no connection to him, and the candidate has denied running to create confusion.

Alaska’s Division of Elections briefly removed Daniel J. Sullivan from the ballot in June. A state court ordered his name restored, and the state Supreme Court upheld that decision.

Democratic groups and voting rights advocates, including Mary Peltola’s campaign, are seeking to join the lawsuit to oppose the certification request. They argue that the federal executive branch lacks authority to intervene in state-run elections.

How Alaska counts the vote

Alaska uses ranked-choice voting in the general election. If no candidate has a majority in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and eligible ballots are redistributed according to voters’ preferences. The process continues until a candidate wins a majority.

Next milestone

The Alaska Senate election is scheduled for November 3, 2026.

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