DoJ sues to block certification of Alaska Senate results if Republican incumbent loses

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit in Alaska District Court to block the certification of the state's Senate election results if incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan loses. According to Axios, the legal action cites potential voter confusion caused by two candidates named Dan Sullivan appearing on the ballot. The race includes the incumbent, Democrat Mary Peltola, and retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., who is also running as a Republican.

The administration's lawsuit states there is a realistic chance the presence of the non-incumbent Sullivan could tip the scales for Peltola. Axios reports the administration argues that if votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan had instead gone to Senator Sullivan, the incumbent would have won under Alaska's ranked-choice voting system. CNBC World notes that the presence of two Dan Sullivans could assist Peltola in defeating both Republican candidates.

The contest is one of several in the United States that could impact whether Republicans maintain a slim majority in the Senate, according to CNBC.

Brief written by urgent.news from CNBC World, Axios, CBS News, ABC News (US), CNBC — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.