Alaska Senate Margin Keeps Justice Department Lawsuit Alive

In the ongoing Alaska Senate race, Democrat Mary Peltola and Republican Senator Dan Sullivan are locked in a tight contest. According to the latest unofficial count, Peltola leads by 637 votes. Meanwhile, the Justice Department is challenging the certification of the election on the grounds that Sullivan should be trailing by more votes than those of his namesake, Dan Sullivan, who received 3,600 votes.

The lawsuit was initially dismissed by a federal judge but was later appealed by the Justice Department. The case was brought forth with the intention of allowing investigators to examine whether voters mistakenly confused the two Sullivans. However, the judge ruled that the government lacked standing in the case as it would be unable to rule on the request without exposing voting patterns.

The U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed the government's request, stating that she cannot grant the request without violating constitutional protections for ballot secrecy. The Justice Department has issued grand jury subpoenas and Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered a state investigation. The outcome of the race hinges on the ranked-choice tabulation, and if Peltola wins narrowly, the appeal and criminal probe could become the next battleground.