Federal Judge Dismisses Justice Department Lawsuit Over Alaska Senate Race

Chief Judge Sharon Gleason of the U.S. District Court in Alaska dismissed a Department of Justice lawsuit on Sunday that sought to delay certification of the state Senate election if incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan loses.

The federal government filed the lawsuit at President Donald Trump's direction, arguing that the presence of another candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan on the ballot could cause voter confusion. Judge Gleason ruled that the federal government failed to establish legal standing and noted that segregating ballots cast for Daniel J. Sullivan for law enforcement investigation would violate the right to a secret ballot.

The Department of Justice filed a notice of intent to appeal the ruling to the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The controversy follows reports that Democratic operatives and staff of Democratic challenger Mary Peltola recruited retired schoolteacher Daniel J. Sullivan to run in the ranked-choice election. Senator Dan Sullivan stated on CNN that he will accept the election results regardless of the outcome, while Peltola's campaign denied recruiting the second candidate.