Democrats Challenge Trump Bid to Block Alaska Senate Certification

Democratic campaign organizations and voting rights advocates are seeking to intervene in a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's attempt to block certification of Alaska's U.S. Senate election results if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses. The groups argue that the Justice Department lacks authority to interfere with state election administration and that its lawsuit threatens voters' representation.

The intervention requests were submitted Friday by Alaskans for Mary, the campaign for Democratic candidate Mary Peltola, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), and a separate coalition that includes the League of Women Voters of Alaska, Common Cause, and two individual voters. Early voting is already underway in Alaska.

The Justice Department filed its lawsuit on Oct. 22, seeking an order preventing Alaska from certifying the Senate election if the incumbent loses. The legal challenge focuses on whether voters who selected another candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan intended to vote for the incumbent senator, Daniel S. Sullivan.

President Donald Trump confirmed Friday that he personally directed the department to pursue the case.

"I'm the one that said 'do it.'" Trump told reporters on Friday.

Alaska's Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski also criticized the lawsuit, adding to the bipartisan opposition to the federal government's intervention.

"The Department of Justice should never have filed this lawsuit." Murkowski said on social media.

The dispute stems from state election officials' initial decision to remove Daniel J. Sullivan from the ballot following a complaint by the state Republican Party. State courts subsequently ordered his inclusion, and the Alaska Supreme Court upheld that decision in June, directing election officials to distinguish clearly between the two candidates.

The ballot identifies Sen. Daniel S. Sullivan as the incumbent and a Republican.

Daniel J. Sullivan, his challenger with a similar name, has no party registration.

Alaskans for Mary and the DSCC argue that the federal lawsuit threatens their interests because blocking certification could prevent Peltola from taking office even if she wins under Alaska's ranked-choice voting system. Both organizations are seeking permission to participate as defendants and file motions to dismiss the case.

The Democratic groups also question whether state officials will adequately defend Alaska's election procedures. They point to the Division of Elections' earlier attempt to exclude Daniel J. Sullivan from the ballot, which state courts overturned.

The Justice Department has cited the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) as the legal basis for its lawsuit. The groups contend that the law does not authorize the federal government to determine candidate eligibility or dictate ballot design, matters they argue fall under state authority established by the Constitution.

The League of Women Voters of Alaska and Common Cause filed a separate request to join the case, warning that the federal government's proposed investigation into voter intent raises serious constitutional concerns.

The organizations argue that the Justice Department has not provided a method for determining whether voters who selected Daniel J. Sullivan actually intended to vote for the incumbent. They contend that preventing certification would disenfranchise Alaska voters by denying them representation and creating uncertainty over the election's outcome.

The voting rights organizations are seeking permission to participate as defendants, while the Democratic campaign groups intend to seek dismissal of the lawsuit if their intervention requests are granted.