# Trump DOJ sues to block Alaska Senate results

> The Justice Department filed suit to prevent certification of November's Alaska Senate election unless Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan wins, citing voter confusion from a similarly named candidate.
- Title: Trump DOJ sues to block Alaska Senate results · NBC News
- Summary: The Justice Department filed suit to prevent certification of November's Alaska Senate election unless Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan wins, citing voter…
- Keywords: dan sullivan, alaska senate, 2026 election, justice department, trump administration, ballot certification, voter confusion, daniel j. sullivan jr., politics, news, Trump, DOJ
- Source: NBC News — https://nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/trump-justice-department-lawsuit-alaska-senate-rcna605229
- Author: Dareh Gregorian
- Published: 2026-10-23T16:57:56.1+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: dan sullivan, alaska senate, 2026 election, justice department, trump administration, ballot certification, voter confusion, daniel j. sullivan jr., politics, news
## DOJ sues to block Alaska Senate results
The Justice Department filed suit against Alaska election officials on Thursday, seeking to block certification of November's Senate election unless incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan wins.
## The voter confusion claim
Attorneys for the DOJ argued that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. on the ballot could mislead supporters of sitting senator Daniel S. Sullivan, saying some supporters will inadvertently vote for the wrong candidate.

> For example, some supporters of Senator Sullivan likely will inadvertently vote for Daniel J. Sullivan.
## The DOJ's specific demand
The Trump administration seeks a court order blocking results from being certified if Senator Sullivan does not win and if votes for Daniel J. Sullivan would have changed the outcome under Alaska's rank-choice voting process.
## Associate Attorney General's statement
Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward said the action was brought to protect the integrity of the two thousand twenty-six Senate election in Alaska.
## Attorney General denies improper interference
On the same day the lawsuit was filed, Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters that it is not DOJ's intention to improperly interfere with elections or the state certification process.

> it is not DOJ's intention to, and it's never our intention to, improperly interfere with elections or the state confirmation process or certification process.
## Sullivan Jr.'s primary performance
In August's all-party primary, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. finished third with two point five percent of the vote. Democrat Mary Peltola received forty-nine point five percent and Sen. Sullivan received forty-one point four percent.
## Alaska courts overruled ballot removal
Election officials initially removed Sullivan Jr.from the ballot in June, finding his candidacy was not in good faith and citing his choice to use Dan instead of Daniel and his sudden Republican Party affiliation.
## November ballot clearly differentiates names
The November ballot lists Dan S. Sullivan as a registered Republican incumbent, while Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. appears with no party affiliation, providing clear differentiation between the two candidates.
## Trump calls Sullivan Jr. a Democratic plant
President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Sullivan Jr., calling him a cheat and spoiler candidate. Trump said in a video post that Sullivan Jr. was put on the ballot by Democrats to confuse voters.

> It's cheating. It's a spoiler candidate to go on the ballot with the exact same name as your great Senator Dan Sullivan.
## Legal experts question DOJ authority
Justin Levitt, an NBC News contributor and former Justice Department official, said there is no law that says DOJ can challenge ballots or delay certification, which is the role of state and local officials.
## DOJ cites voter registration act
A DOJ spokesperson told NBC News the Justice Department is taking steps consistent with the National Voter Registration Act to ensure Sullivan Jr.'
## Key takeaway

The Trump Justice Department sued to block Alaska's Senate election results from being certified unless incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan wins, claiming a similarly named candidate could confuse voters.