{"id":951849,"date":"2026-10-30T11:52:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-30T11:52:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/951849\/"},"modified":"2026-10-30T11:52:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T11:52:12","slug":"trump-administration-renews-bid-to-block-alaska-election-results-us-midterm-elections-2026-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/951849\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump administration renews bid to block Alaska election results | US Midterm Elections 2026 News"},"content":{"rendered":"

The updated lawsuit cites a new report that Democratic operatives recruited a competitor to confuse voters and unseat a Republican incumbent.<\/p>\n

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Published On 30 Oct 202630 Oct 2026<\/p>\n

The United States Department of Justice has filed a revised lawsuit seeking to decertify the results of a Senate race in the state of Alaska<\/a> if Republican incumbent Dan S Sullivan<\/a> loses narrowly.<\/p>\n

The updated lawsuit on Thursday comes just days before the November 3 midterm election<\/a>, which will determine control of Congress.<\/p>\n

Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list<\/p>\n

The complaint accuses Democrats of trying to confuse voters by placing a candidate with the same name as Sullivan on the ballot.<\/p>\n

Alaska\u2019s Senate<\/a> race is one of seven key toss-ups that will likely decide whether Republicans keep their majority in Congress\u2019s upper chamber.<\/p>\n

Democratic challenger Mary Peltola is seeking to unseat Sullivan, a Republican ally of US President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

But a New York Times report on Wednesday alleged that members of Peltola\u2019s campaign helped recruit a retired teacher, Dan J Sullivan Jr, to run for the Senate seat as a spoiler candidate, designed to draw votes away from the incumbent.<\/p>\n

The Times report prompted a renewed legal push under the Trump administration to bar Alaska from certifying its election results, should Senator Sullivan lose.<\/p>\n

The Department of Justice issued 40 subpoenas and document preservation requests as part of the revised complaint, the Reuters news agency reported.<\/p>\n

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy also ordered a criminal investigation into the allegations. Peltola\u2019s campaign has denied involvement in Dan J Sullivan Jr\u2019s bid for the Senate.<\/p>\n

Prosecutors, however, have accused the Democrat and her allies of playing partisan tricks \u2013 and undermining voters as a result.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey orchestrated his sham campaign for the purpose of misleading Alaskan voters and getting Peltola elected,\u201d Justice Department lawyers wrote in their amended complaint<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But the Justice Department\u2019s lawsuit has raised concerns about election integrity<\/a> and federal meddling.<\/p>\n

Under the US Constitution, election administration falls to the states, not the presidency.<\/p>\n

In June, Alaska\u2019s Supreme Court ruled that Dan J Sullivan Jr could compete in the midterms, and the state\u2019s election office has already taken steps to reduce confusion between the two Sullivans.<\/p>\n

Recruiting candidates to split an opponent\u2019s vote \u2013 a practice known as ballot stacking \u2013 is also generally considered to be legal and has been used by both parties in Alaska.<\/p>\n

Critics have been sceptical of the Justice Department\u2019s bid to pause the certification of Alaska\u2019s Senate results if Senator Sullivan does not win re-election, noting it would be impossible to divine voter intent based on the final tally alone.<\/p>\n

Justin Levitt, a former Department of Justice official under President Joe Biden, also questioned what legal authority the federal government had to get involved in the case.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what they\u2019re putting out subpoenas to investigate because I don\u2019t know what federal violations are implicated that DOJ would have jurisdiction over,\u201d Levitt told the Associated Press news agency.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure makes it seem like the point of the investigation is to become the story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Democrats and Republicans are locked in tight races nationwide that will determine which party holds a majority in the US Senate for the remainder of Trump\u2019s second term in office.<\/p>\n

Republicans currently hold a slim majority in the legislature\u2019s upper chamber, with 53 out of 100 seats.<\/p>\n

Democratic candidates are hoping to win seats by capitalising on Trump\u2019s deep unpopularity and frustration over the cost-of-living crisis.<\/p>\n

Trump has suggested he may not accept the midterm results if his party loses its majorities in Congress, and he has pushed false claims of widespread voter fraud.<\/p>\n

The Justice Department has also attempted to challenge the voting process in several states, including California.<\/p>\n

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