Judge blocks Trump bid to halt Alaska Senate certification

Federal Judge Sharon Gleason ruled on Sunday that the Trump administration does not have the legal authority to block the certification of results from the Alaska U.S. Senate race. The decision invalidates a lawsuit filed by the Justice Department that sought to pause the official count to investigate potential voter confusion on the ranked-choice ballot.

The core of the dispute involves two candidates with nearly identical names: Senator Dan Sullivan, the Republican incumbent, and Daniel Sullivan Jr., an unaffiliated challenger. President Trump ordered the federal lawsuit because he believed the similar names created a risk that voters might be misled. The Justice Department asked the court to stop state officials from certifying the election until an investigation could determine if the ballot design caused errors.

Judge Gleason, an Obama nominee, rejected the government's claim. She determined that a court order freezing the certification process would likely interfere with Alaskan voters' constitutional right to a secret ballot. Gleason noted that the government failed to explain how it could investigate the voting process while simultaneously maintaining the secrecy of individual ballots. She described the lack of explanation from the United States on this point as telling.

The path to this federal court ruling began in the state system. In June, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that Daniel Sullivan Jr. had the right to remain on the ballot, rejecting an earlier effort by the state Republican Party to remove him. That decision left the two Sullivans on the ranked-choice ballot, a situation that has drawn scrutiny from national Democratic operatives and state Republicans alike.

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has also ordered a state-level investigation into the race. During a press conference in Anchorage on October 30, U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman confirmed that the Justice Department has an ongoing criminal probe into the election. Governor Dunleavy indicated that the outcome of his investigation could influence whether the state certifies the results, stating that if wrongdoing is found, the certification process might be stopped or changed.

The Justice Department plans to appeal the federal ruling. Spokesperson Kiersten Pels said in a statement that Alaskan voters deserve a fair election and should not be misled in an attempt to rig outcomes. The department framed its legal action as a necessary step to protect the integrity of the vote.

Voting rights advocates reacted strongly to the dismissal. Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Voting Rights Project, called the lawsuit lawless from the start. She described the federal move as a reckless waste of taxpayer money designed to silence hundreds of thousands of Alaska voters before a single ballot was counted.

Despite the legal battles, turnout remains high. According to the Alaska Division of Elections, more than 86,700 voters have cast ballots during early voting. Voting continues through Tuesday, Election Day, as Alaskans head to the polls to decide the Senate seat.

In a Sunday interview with CNN's State of the Union, incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan said he would accept the election results whether he wins or loses. Former Representative Mary Peltola, the Democratic challenger, has denied any involvement in the recruiting efforts that placed Daniel Sullivan Jr. on the ballot. The state will now proceed with the certification process while the federal appeal and state investigations move forward.