Federal Courts: DOJ Sues Over Alaska Senate Ballot Dispute
Attorney General Todd Blanche argues a namesake candidate could mislead voters, while Sen. Adam Schiff calls the federal intervention an overreach into state matters.
By Tyler Khalil ·
The Department of Justice has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the certification of Alaska's upcoming Senate election.
The suit targets the presence of Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. on the ballot alongside incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan. The two candidates share a first and last name, though the Petersburg resident has no party affiliation. In the August primary, Mary Peltola finished first, followed by Senator Sullivan and the Petersburg candidate. Gerald Heikes, a Republican drywall contractor from Palmer, will appear as the fourth candidate after a Democrat withdrew.
State election officials initially disqualified the Petersburg candidate. They cited concerns that his campaign materials and recent party registration were designed to confuse voters. However, an Alaska Superior Court judge reversed that decision. The Alaska Supreme Court subsequently upheld the lower court's ruling, allowing the namesake candidate to remain on the ballot.
Despite the state court victory, the Justice Department filed its complaint last week. Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the agency is relying on federal law. He noted that the lawsuit does not seek to stop ballots from being cast or prevent certification entirely. Instead, the department seeks to delay certification only if Senator Sullivan loses but would have won had votes cast for the Petersburg candidate gone to him. Blanche said the litigation aims to preserve voter intent so governing officials can determine if confusion occurred.
Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., accused the administration of trying to subvert elections through this legal action. He argued that the state courts had already resolved the dispute and that the federal government has no standing to run Alaskan elections. Schiff compared the current approach to the 2020 election challenges, noting that former Attorney General William Barr refused to support efforts to overturn results at that time. He criticized the current DOJ leadership for being complicit in the Trump campaign's efforts to undermine democratic institutions.
The Justice Department's filing includes a side-by-side comparison of the candidates' banners. It highlights the dark blue banner with a star used by the Petersburg candidate versus the Big Dipper design used by the Senator. The complaint also references a letter from Carol Beecher, director of the Alaska Division of Elections. Beecher alleged that the Petersburg candidate's declaration of candidacy was not filed in good faith. The White House indicated that President Trump recommended the suit and described the namesake candidacy as a matter of confusion. Trump called the situation a disgrace.
The case cites the National Voter Registration Act, which identifies protecting election integrity as one of its purposes. The Department of Justice maintains that its attorneys wrote the lawsuit without coordinating with any campaign. The agency relies solely on federal statutes to support its request for a judicial review of the ballot access process.
