Trump administration sues to block possible Democratic win in Alaska Senate race

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court in Alaska seeking to prevent the state from certifying a Democratic victory in the U.S. Senate race if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses while another candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan remains on the ballot. The suit, brought by the Department of Justice, argues that federal law requires states to protect the integrity of federal elections. Sullivan faces Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman, in a contest that could determine control of the Senate.

Daniel J. Sullivan, from the fishing community of Petersburg, has said he decided to run on his own, though Republicans have alleged he is a Democratic plant intended to siphon votes. The Alaska Supreme Court previously rejected a Republican effort to remove him from the ballot. State Republican officials determined how he would be listed: without a party designation, while the incumbent senator appears as the Republican candidate. Alaska's ranked choice voting system also allows voters to select both men if confused.

Associate U.S. Attorney General Stanley Woodward signed the lawsuit. He previously represented Trump allies and Jan. 6 defendants before joining the department. U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters Thursday, before the suit was filed, that it was not the department's intention to improperly interfere with elections or the state certification process. The Department of Justice has increasingly been used to bolster the president's political operation, targeting his enemies and suing Democratic-controlled states before the election.

University of Notre Dame law professor Derek Muller said the lawsuit would likely only take effect if Republicans narrowly lost the Alaska race and that it did not appear to have legal merit. "The statute simply doesn't let the Department of Justice enjoin certification," he said. "The lawsuit could well be mooted by a wide Democratic victory or a narrow Republican one, and if not, the court will likely dismiss it next month." The Constitution grants states the power to run their own elections, while federal offices must comply with standards set by Congress.

Sources: Las Vegas Sun