Judge rejects federal bid to delay Alaska Senate certification

US District Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice on Saturday. The suit sought to delay the certification of results in Alaska's Senate race if incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan loses. The court ruled that the federal government does not have the authority to force Alaska to segregate and investigate ballots in the three-way contest.

The Department of Justice argued that having two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot would cause voter confusion. The suit claimed this confusion would take support from the incumbent. The race features Dan S. Sullivan, Democrat Mary Peltola, and unaffiliated candidate Daniel J. Sullivan.

In her written ruling, Judge Gleason stated that the United States provided no workable plan for segregating ballots cast for Daniel J. Sullivan on Election Day. She noted that a subsequent investigation would be unspecified and difficult to conduct while preserving voter secrecy. The judge added that the move was too late because only days remain before the midterm election, and many voters have already cast ballots through early or postal voting.

Following the ruling, the Department of Justice announced it would file an appeal. In a statement, the department said the court dismissed the case on procedural grounds. It maintained that Daniel J. Sullivan, referred to as Decoy Dan, entered the race as a frivolous candidate to confuse voters. The department stated that Alaskan voters deserve a fair election and should not be misled in an attempt to rig outcomes.

President Donald Trump said last month that he directed the Justice Department to file the lawsuit. He described the situation to reporters, noting that one candidate is Daniel S. and the other is Daniel J. He called the second candidate the fake. Daniel J. Sullivan, who runs with no party affiliation, previously told The New York Times that he has voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past.

Senator Dan S. Sullivan and his allies have accused Democrats of trying to confuse voters. Controversy increased last week after The New York Times reported that Democrats on Peltola's team worked with individuals who tried to recruit spoiler candidates. Peltola has denied knowing about an alleged scheme that resulted in two Dan Sullivans standing in the race. Analysts consider this one of the tightest contests in the upcoming midterms, which will determine which party controls Congress for the final two years of Trump's presidency.

The three-way race will be decided by voters in Alaska on Tuesday. The outcome will determine whether Sullivan retains his seat or if Peltola becomes the state's next senator.