The latest complaint cites new reports that Democratic operatives scouted competitors to confuse voters and unseat Republican incumbents.
Published October 30, 2026
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed an amended lawsuit seeking to decertify Alaska’s Senate election results if Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan loses by a narrow margin.
Thursday’s new lawsuit was filed just days before the Nov. 3 midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.
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The complaint accuses Democrats of trying to confuse voters by putting a candidate with the same name as Sullivan on the ballot.
Alaska’s Senate race is one of seven key issues likely to determine whether Republicans retain their majority in the upper chamber of Congress.
Democratic challenger Mary Peltola is seeking to unseat Sullivan, a Republican ally of US President Donald Trump.
But the New York Times reported Wednesday that members of Mr. Peltola’s campaign helped former teacher Dan J. Sullivan Jr. run for the Senate as a spoiler candidate, with the goal of drawing votes away from the incumbent.
The Times report began a new legal push under the Trump administration to bar Alaska from certifying its election results if Sen. Sullivan loses.
According to Reuters, the Justice Department issued 40 subpoenas and document preservation requests as part of the amended complaint.
Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy also ordered a criminal investigation into the allegations. Mr. Peltola’s campaign denies any involvement in Dan J. Sullivan Jr.’s Senate campaign.
But prosecutors have accused Democrats and their allies of partisan maneuvering that weakened voters.
“They orchestrated his false campaign to mislead Alaska voters and elect Mr. Peltola,” Justice Department lawyers said in the amended complaint.
But the Justice Department’s lawsuit has raised concerns about election integrity and federal interference.
Under the U.S. Constitution, election administration belongs to the states, not the president.
The Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that Dan J. Sullivan Jr. can run in the midterm elections, and the state’s elections board has already taken steps to reduce confusion between the two Sullivans.
Recruiting candidates to split the opponent’s vote (a practice known as ballot stacking) is also generally considered legal, and both parties have done it in Alaska.
Critics are skeptical of the Justice Department’s move to suspend certification of Alaska’s Senate results if Sullivan is not re-elected, noting that it is impossible to infer voter intent from the final tally alone.
Justin Levitt, a former Justice Department official under President Joe Biden, also questioned what legal authority the federal government had to get involved in the case.
“We don’t know what they’re subpoenaing for their investigation because we don’t know what the federal law violations that the Justice Department has jurisdiction over are related to,” Levitt told The Associated Press.
“It certainly seems like the purpose of the investigation is to tell a story.”
A tight race between Democrats and Republicans continues across the United States to determine which party will control the Senate during President Trump’s remaining second term.
Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the Senate, with 53 of the 100 seats.
Democratic candidates hope to win seats by capitalizing on dissatisfaction with President Trump’s deep unpopularity and the cost of living crisis.
President Trump has signaled he may not accept interim results if his party loses a majority in Congress and has pushed false claims of widespread voter fraud.
The Justice Department is also seeking to challenge the voting process in several states, including California.
