Trump Administration Sues in Advance to Block Certification of Alaska Senate Election Over Two Candidates Named Dan Sullivan
The Trump administration has gone to court in advance to block the certification of the upcoming Senate election in Alaska. The US Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit in federal court saying that having two candidates with the same name on the ballot could confuse voters.
At the centre of the case is Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. The administration wants the election results not to be certified if Sullivan loses narrowly — because another Dan Sullivan, a retired teacher, is also a candidate with a matching name on the ballot.
The justice department argues that the inclusion of another candidate with the same name could lead some voters to mistakenly cast their vote for the wrong candidate. The advance lawsuit stems from the fear that the result of the real contest could be distorted.
The government is asking the judge to bar the state from certifying the election results if Senator Sullivan is defeated by a margin smaller than the votes received by the other Sullivan.
Polls suggest the race between Senator Sullivan and Democratic contender Mary Peltola is tight, with Peltola holding a narrow lead. It is in this tense situation that the administration's move has created fresh controversy in election politics.
The name complication is not new. Previous efforts to remove the retired teacher Dan Sullivan from the ballot have been rejected by the Alaska Supreme Court. In other words, the state's highest court has already allowed him to remain a candidate, yet the justice department has now gone to the federal level.
Senator Sullivan will be listed on the ballot as the Republican incumbent. And because Alaska uses a ranked-choice voting system, a voter who is unsure could select both of them in order of preference — this system has also come up in the discussion.
A lawsuit to block certification before voting even takes place is being seen as an unusual step in the US electoral process. Usually the losing side goes to court after results are declared; here the administration is trying to build a legal wall in advance, attaching the condition of a possible defeat.
For the camp of Democratic contender Mary Peltola, the lawsuit is a new campaign issue. Combined with polls showing her narrowly ahead, it is clear the contest will remain tense until the last moment.
The decision now rests with a federal judge. If the court grants the government's request, major legal complications could arise over certification after the election; if the request is rejected, Alaska's vote counting and certification will proceed through the normal process.
All in all, the controversy that began over two candidates with the same name is now one of the most discussed aspects of the Alaska Senate race — whose final chapter will be written by both the court and the election result.
