Federal court blocks Trump bid to halt Alaska Senate vote count
Judge Sharon Gleason ruled the Justice Department lacked standing, clearing the path for certification unless the state appeals or intervenes.
By Harper Collins ·
A federal judge has rejected the Trump administration's effort to prevent the certification of Alaska's Senate election results if the Republican incumbent loses.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason issued the ruling on Sunday, finding that the federal government does not have the legal standing to file the suit. The case cited the National Voter Registration Act's preamble to argue for a pause in certification. This pause would allow time to investigate whether voters were confused by the presence of two similarly named candidates on the ranked-choice ballot.
Gleason, a nominee of former President Barack Obama, wrote that a court order stopping certification would likely violate Alaskan voters' right to a secret ballot. She noted that the United States provided no explanation for how its requested relief could fix the alleged injury while keeping the ballot secret.
The Justice Department plans to appeal the decision. Spokesperson Kiersten Pels stated that Alaskan voters deserve a fair election rather than being misled in an attempt to rig outcomes.
The lawsuit was filed after President Trump said he ordered the action because two of the four Senate candidates share a similar name. Incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican, faces Daniel Sullivan Jr., an unaffiliated challenger. Alaska's Republican Party previously supported a state court effort to keep Sullivan Jr. off the ballot, but the Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that he has the right to run.
Republican officials have long alleged that Democrats propped up Sullivan Jr. to spoil the incumbent's chances. A New York Times report on Democratic campaign efforts to recruit Sullivan Jr. renewed attention to those claims, though NPR has not independently confirmed the report. Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation and said certification may depend on the results. U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman confirmed an ongoing criminal probe by the Justice Department on Oct. 30.
Former Rep. Mary Peltola, the Democratic candidate, denied involvement. Incumbent Sullivan said Sunday that he will accept the results regardless of the outcome. More than 86,700 Alaskans have voted early, and voting continues through Election Day on Tuesday.
