Federal Judge Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit Over Alaska Senate Certification

A federal judge on Sunday dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska’s U.S. Senate race, finding the federal government cannot bring the case.

U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason, an Obama nominee, issued the ruling two days before Election Day. The Justice Department is expected to appeal.

The suit asked the court to bar Alaska from certifying the race if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses pending an investigation into whether voters confused him with Daniel J. Sullivan, an unaffiliated candidate from Petersburg. A later filing asked to segregate every ballot ranking a Dan Sullivan.

In August’s primary, Peltola led with 49.5 percent, followed by Sullivan at 41.4 percent, and Daniel J. Sullivan at 2.5 percent.

The complaint cited only the National Voter Registration Act, which the state argued covers registration, not certification. Alaska also noted that ranked-choice voting lets confused voters rank both Sullivans.

In the ruling, Gleason pointed to the timing of the lawsuit. The department sued after voting began nearly four months after the Alaska Supreme Court ruled Daniel J. Sullivan could stay on the ballot. Sullivan’s own campaign said it had no prior knowledge of the suit, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican who endorsed Sullivan, said the department should never have filed it.

Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a state investigation after a report that Democrat operatives helped recruit Daniel J. Sullivan. The report has not been independently confirmed. Dunleavy said certification could be stopped or changed if wrongdoing is found. Democrat Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee deny involvement.

Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.

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