Alaska Senate race: US judge dismisses Trump administration's bid to block certification if Dan Sullivan loses

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the US Justice Department seeking to block the certification of Alaska's Senate election if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses to Democratic challenger Mary Peltola. The lawsuit, filed less than two weeks before the election, sought an investigation into whether votes cast for retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan were actually intended for the Republican senator.

US District Court Judge Sharon Gleason ruled that the government's request was "infeasible" because many ballots had already been cast and commingled, making it impossible to determine the intentions of individual voters without compromising ballot secrecy. The lawsuit is linked to allegations that Democratic candidate Mary Peltola and her campaign were involved in recruiting a retired schoolteacher named Dan Sullivan to enter the Senate race, potentially confusing voters.

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