Alaska Officials Push to Kill Trump Administration Lawsuit Over Senate Race Certification
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Alaska's state government has asked a federal judge to dismiss a Trump administration lawsuit aimed at blocking certification of the Senate race, arguing the claims have no merit and violate voters' rights.
Alaska's Republican-led government has urged a federal judge to permanently dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration that seeks to prevent certification of the Senate race if incumbent GOP Senator Dan S. Sullivan loses. State officials argue that the suit is meritless and tramples on voters' rights to ballot secrecy.
In their filing, Alaska officials said the Trump administration's claims offer no valid reason for the court to hear the case, which they describe as improper and impossible. The lawsuit alleges that Democratic candidate Mary Peltola's campaign was involved in confusing voters by recruiting a retired teacher with the same name as Sullivan, a claim Peltola has denied.
As Election Day nears, Alaska officials attacked the legal basis for the Trump administration's intervention, stressing that election certification is a state matter. They pointed out that the Alaska Supreme Court approved the ballot design months earlier and that state officials had already taken steps to reduce voter confusion.
The filing also rejected the Justice Department's proposal to separate ballots that rank Sullivan, calling it nonsensical and impossible. The Alaska attorney general's office has asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, allowing state officials to carry out the election without federal interference.
The Trump administration recently amended its complaint, citing a New York Times report alleging Peltola's involvement in recruiting a candidate with Sullivan's name. Peltola responded at a rally, saying she was offended by the accusations and insisting she does not want additional competition in the race. Sullivan, in a Fox News interview, accused Peltola of knowing about the alleged scheme, calling it deceptive and disrespectful to Alaskan voters.