Trump DOJ sues to block Alaska US Senate results if Republican incumbent loses

The Trump administration's Justice Department has gone to court ahead of the Alaska Senate vote, asking that certification of the result be blocked if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses. The state could help determine which party controls the chamber, since Democrats need a net gain of four seats and are targeting several Republican-held ones. Sullivan is in a tight contest with Democrat Mary Peltola, though reliable polling has been scarce, according to CNN · PBS NewsHour.

The department's argument centers on a second candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan. A registered Republican, he appears on the ballot with no party label, while the senator is identified as a registered Republican and incumbent. In the primary, the senator drew 68,726 votes to his namesake's 4,107. Because Alaska voters rank candidates and the lowest finisher's votes pass to later choices, the department says confused voters might skip the senator or rank the other Sullivan higher, sending the challenger's support to the Democrat. It also says a frivolous candidacy injures the federal government by weakening public trust, and it relies on the opening language of a federal voter registration statute.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CNN · PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at CNN · PBS NewsHour →