Judge dismisses federal lawsuit over Alaska Senate election

Politics · First reported 1 Nov, 18:00 · Updated 18:25

Image: Wikimedia Commons · Rekia1991 · CC BY-SA 4.0

A federal judge dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska’s Senate results if incumbent Dan Sullivan loses. The ruling cited concerns about voter secrecy and the requested remedy; Sullivan said he would accept the election outcome.

U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed the federal lawsuit on Sunday. It sought to stop certification if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan lost, amid claims that voters could confuse him with another candidate named Sullivan.
Gleason said the government had not explained how its proposed action could address the alleged harm while preserving ballot secrecy. She also found the federal government lacked the ability to bring the lawsuit.
The dispute followed reports alleging that Democratic campaign figures helped recruit Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to run. Mary Peltola and her campaign denied involvement, while Republican allegations about the effort remained contested in the coverage.
Sullivan said he would accept the election results whether he won or lost. Alaska officials had also indicated that certification could depend on the outcome of a state investigation.

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Key facts

Ruling: U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed the lawsuit on Sunday.
Election: The case concerned Alaska’s U.S. Senate race between incumbent Dan Sullivan and Mary Peltola.
Other candidate: Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. was the other candidate named in the dispute.
Sullivan’s response: Dan Sullivan said he would accept the election results.