Days before Election Day, a fight over two candidates with the same name has landed in federal court.
Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, defended a Justice Department lawsuit that could delay certification of the Alaska Senate race if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses.
What did Todd Blanche say about the Alaska Senate race?
Speaking on CNN, Blanche said the federal government is not trying to decide who Alaska’s next senator will be.
Instead, he said, the department wants a court to ensure that if voter confusion led to an unjust result that does not reflect the will of Alaskans, the state’s courts and election process can address it. Whether confusion occurred would be for a court to decide later, he said.
On Saturday, Blanche also wrote on social media that the department is not seeking to stop any ballot from being cast or to halt certification.
What does the lawsuit ask for?
The suit, filed against Alaska election officials late last week, asks a federal judge to block certification of the Alaska Senate race until an investigation is complete, but only if Sullivan loses and would have won had votes cast for another candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan, gone to him instead.
The department argues that the second Sullivan’s candidacy is frivolous and could cause some supporters of the senator to vote for the wrong person by mistake. It cites federal law requiring states to protect election integrity and a Supreme Court ruling that states have an interest in excluding frivolous or fraudulent candidates.
President Donald Trump has said he directed the department to file the suit. Trump has argued the second candidate was put on the ballot to confuse voters, though he did not provide evidence.
Who is the other Dan Sullivan?
Daniel J. Sullivan is a resident of Petersburg who was registered as a Republican as recently as July and is now listed as undeclared. State election officials initially kept him off the ballot, but Alaska courts ruled earlier this year that he could run. Another candidate, Republican Gerald Heikes, is also on the ballot.
On the Alaska Senate race ballot, the senator is labeled as the incumbent and a registered Republican. In the primary, the senator received 68,726 votes, compared with 4,107 for Daniel J. Sullivan.
How have critics responded?
Lawyers for Democratic candidate Mary Peltola and Senate Democrats asked the judge to dismiss the case, calling the assumption that every vote for the other Sullivan was meant for the senator insulting to voters. They noted that the ballot clearly distinguishes the two and that Alaska voters rank candidates in order of preference.
Alaska’s other Republican senator said the department never should have filed the lawsuit. A former Justice Department official said no law gives the department the power to challenge ballots or delay certification.
Democrats have called the suit a sham aimed at overturning a possible loss, while the senator’s campaign said it will let the complaint run its course.
Why does the Alaska Senate race matter?
The Alaska Senate race could help decide which party controls the Senate. Polls have shown Peltola, a former congresswoman, with a small lead, and a Democrat has not won a Senate race in Alaska since 2008.
Early voting in the Alaska Senate race is already underway, with Election Day set for Nov. 3. No court has ordered Alaska to delay certification. Alaska typically takes weeks to finalize results because of absentee ballots and the ranking process.
How the judge handles the case could shape not only the Alaska Senate race but also future attempts by federal officials to weigh in on state election results.
