DOJ sues to block Alaska election results if GOP incumbent loses
· Axios
The Trump administration sued Alaska on Thursday to block certification of election results if incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses.
Why it matters: The race between incumbent Sullivan, Democrat Mary Peltola, and retired teacher Dan Sullivan has been marked by controversy, with Republicans accusing Democrats of trying to confuse voters by planting a candidate with the same name.
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- Alaska's use of ranked-choice voting complicates matters, eliminating candidates in rounds if no one gets 50% of the initial vote.
- "An election result may be impacted by voter confusion if: (1) Senator Sullivan does not win the election; and (2) had all votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan been cast instead for Senator Sullivan and Alaska's rank-choice process played out accordingly, Senator Sullivan would have won the election," the lawsuit, filed in Alaska District Court, states.
The intrigue: The race is among those being closely watched as Democrats appear to be making inroads in red territory.
- The administration acknowledged the tight race in its lawsuit, saying "there is a realistic chance" that the non-incumbent Sullivan's presence on the ballot could tip the scales for Peltola.
Catch up quick: The retired teacher Sullivan, also running as a Republican, will appear on the ballot as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. after the state's Supreme Court ordered the state's Division of Elections to include him in the race in June.
- The Division of Elections, whose director is named as a defendant in the government's suit, previously rejected his candidacy, concluding he was running to confuse voters.
- But that Sullivan has argued his candidacy is not a sham, and Peltola's campaign has denied any involvement with his run.
Go deeper: Scoop: NRSC pleads for $9M to defend three red seats