Attorney General defends DOJ lawsuit over Alaska Senate ballot confusion
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department's suit aims to prevent voter confusion in Alaska's Senate race, not to aid President Trump in contesting election results.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Justice Department's lawsuit seeking to block Alaska from automatically certifying its Senate election results if the incumbent Republican were to lose. The department argues that the presence of two candidates with similar names – incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan and retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan – could confuse voters and potentially violate federal law.
"We're not laying any groundwork for the president to do that," Blanche told CNN anchor Dana Bash when asked whether the case was preparing President Trump to challenge an unfavorable outcome.
"President Trump is not trying to take over a state election in any way, shape, or form," he added.
Blanche emphasized that the suit requests Alaska to withhold certification only if the law is broken, leaving the ultimate decision to state courts. He described the case as a test of whether Alaska's ballot design complies with federal statutes and the Constitution, noting that states have an obligation to avoid voter confusion.
Alaska courts have allowed both Sullivans to remain on the ballot after Republican officials sought removal, arguing that the challengers did not consider federal law. The ballot lists the incumbent as "Dan S. Sullivan" with a Republican label, while the challenger appears as "Daniel J. Sullivan Jr." without a party designation. Ranked-choice voting also permits voters to rank both candidates.
President Trump later said he had directed the Justice Department to proceed with the case. Senator Lisa Murkowski, the state's other Republican senator, responded on social media that the state had already distinguished the candidates and questioned the need for a federal lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Alaska, cites the National Voter Registration Act and seeks to pause certification until an investigation determines whether votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan were intended for the incumbent. Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward, who signed the filing, previously represented individuals charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.