Alaska Senate Candidate Seeks Dismissal of DOJ Election Interference Suit
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Mary Peltova's campaign asked a federal judge to swiftly toss a Justice Department lawsuit that could interfere with certification of the Alaska Senate race, arguing that the filing is late, legally baseless, and part of a broader effort to meddle in an election just before Election Day.
Mary Peltova's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee filed a motion in Alaska District Court asking Judge Sharon Gleason to dismiss a Justice Department lawsuit before Election Day. The suit, filed by the Department of Justice on Thursday at the direction of President Donald Trump, seeks to prevent certification of the Senate race if incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan loses by a margin the department alleges could be due to voter confusion with a candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan.
The filing argues that the lawsuit was brought less than two weeks before the election, even though the issue had already been resolved by the Alaska Supreme Court, and says the Department's request is legally meritless. Advocacy groups Common Cause and the League of Women Voters joined the motion, demanding a fast briefing and dismissal.
"DOJ filed this lawsuit in the midst of the ongoing general election, less than two weeks before election day, raising issues governed exclusively by state law that were definitively resolved by the Alaska Supreme Court months ago," the motion states.
"DOJ seeks an unprecedented order precluding certification of the U.S. Senate election if the candidate the President favors loses narrowly," the filing adds.
The Department of Justice declined to comment on the motion but pointed to an X post by Attorney General Todd Blanche, saying the suit is not intended to stop voting or certification, but to make sure any alleged voter confusion is investigated after ballots are cast.
"The Department does not seek to stop any ballot from being cast or to stop the certification of Alaska's election," Blanche wrote.
Peltova described the lawsuit as a bid to undermine the election process, calling it "the kind of corruption Alaskans are sick and tired of." The campaign also said that Peltova and her family suffered minor injuries in a vehicle accident on Saturday, which forced the rescheduling of planned events in Fairbanks and Betel.
The outcome of the race could determine which party controls the Senate majority when the new Congress convenes in January.