ELX-013 · Elections · Certification of results
Justice Department suit to stop Alaska certifying its Senate result
Stage 4 of 5: Legal action · Lawsuits, subpoenas, charges · Last development 23 Oct 2026
The Justice Department sued Alaska to bar officials from certifying the U.S. Senate race "pending an investigation" into whether votes for candidate Daniel J. Sullivan were meant for Senator Dan Sullivan, if the senator loses and those votes would have changed the ranked-choice result. The suit relies on the National Voter Registration Act's statement of purpose. Trump said he directed the suit.
Legal scholars quoted by Votebeat and Election Law Blog call the suit frivolous or baseless. No judge or hearing had been reported as of 24 Oct 2026. Daniel J. Sullivan was ruled eligible to run by the Alaska Supreme Court.
- People
- Donald Trump, Justice Department
- Reviewed by
- Federal court (D. Alaska)
Timeline
Trump tells reporters he directed the lawsuit: "I'm the one that said do it." [1]
The Justice Department sues Alaska in federal court (United States v. Alaska), asking that certification of the Senate race be stopped "pending an investigation to determine whether votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan were meant to be cast for Senator Sullivan". It argues certification would violate officials' duty under the NVRA to "protect the integrity of the electoral process". [1]
Responses
- Daniel J. Sullivan (candidate): Rejects any suggestion he is working with Democrats to split the incumbent's vote; says he ran because he was dissatisfied with the senator's record. [1]
- Legal scholars: Michael Morley (Florida State) says the suit "is frivolous and will be quickly dismissed"; Derek Muller calls the legal theory "absurdly thin". [1]
Sources
Cite this case
Public Trust Tracker. "Justice Department suit to stop Alaska certifying its Senate result" (ELX-013). Last updated 23 Oct 2026. https://publictrusttracker.org/case/elx-013-justice-department-suit-to-stop-alaska-certifying-its-senate/
Suggest a fact check