Trump Says He Ordered DOJ Lawsuit Over Alaska Senate Election Certification
Trump acknowledged directing a Justice Department lawsuit that seeks to stop Alaska from certifying a Democratic Senate victory while a disputed candidate remains on the ballot.
President Donald Trump said Friday, October 23, 2026, that he personally directed the Justice Department to sue over Alaska’s U.S. Senate election. The federal complaint asks a court to prevent Alaska from certifying a victory by Democratic nominee Mary Peltola if another candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan remains on the ballot and Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan loses.
“I’m the one that said do it,” Trump told reporters after arriving in Florida, according to the Associated Press and video aired by PBS NewsHour. His acknowledgment tied the extraordinary pre-election filing directly to the White House as control of the Senate could hinge on the closely watched Alaska contest.
What the lawsuit seeks
The Justice Department filed the case in federal court in Alaska late Thursday, 11 days before the November 3 election. It alleges that Daniel J. Sullivan’s candidacy was intended to confuse voters and reduce support for the incumbent, Dan S. Sullivan. The complaint asks the court to halt certification of a Peltola win while officials investigate whether votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan were meant for the senator.
Those claims are allegations, not established findings. Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg, has said he entered the race on his own. Trump has called him an impostor and on Friday labeled him “the fake.” Trump also suggested the candidate had not voted before, but PBS reported that Daniel J. Sullivan has participated in previous Alaska elections.
The ballot itself distinguishes the candidates. The incumbent is identified as the registered Republican incumbent, while Daniel J. Sullivan appears without that designation. Alaska’s ranked-choice system also lets voters rank both men. In the August primary, the senator received more than 68,000 votes and Daniel J. Sullivan received 4,107, or about 2 percent, according to AP.
State courts already considered the ballot dispute
Republicans previously tried to remove Daniel J. Sullivan from the ballot, but Alaska courts rejected that effort. The Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that he could remain. State election officials then determined how the two candidates would be identified. The federal suit does not overturn that state ruling; it instead seeks a conditional block on certification if Peltola wins.
DOJ cites election-integrity authority
The department said the National Voter Registration Act supports action to keep what it called a “frivolous candidacy” from undermining the election or the will of voters. The complaint says the similar names could produce a result lacking integrity. Election-law specialists quoted by AP and the Guardian disputed that theory, saying the federal statute does not authorize DOJ to enjoin a state’s certification on these facts.
Derek Muller, a University of Notre Dame law professor, told AP that the lawsuit would matter only after a narrow Republican loss and predicted that a court would probably dismiss it. David Becker, a former Justice Department civil-rights attorney who leads the Center for Election Innovation & Research, told PBS that ballot eligibility is a state-law issue and called the intervention unprecedented. Those are expert assessments; the federal court has not yet ruled on the government’s claims.
Political reaction and what comes next
Peltola called the suit an attempt to overturn voters’ will. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska also opposed the filing, saying the state had already distinguished the candidates and that DOJ should not have sued. The incumbent’s campaign did not say whether Sen. Sullivan supports the case, telling AP that it would let the complaint run its course.
The lawsuit does not itself remove a candidate, discard votes or stop the count. Its requested remedy is conditional: it would come into play only if Peltola defeats the incumbent while Daniel J. Sullivan remains part of the certified result. A Republican victory or a margin that makes the names immaterial could leave the dispute moot. Otherwise, a federal judge will have to decide whether DOJ has a valid legal basis to delay Alaska’s certification.
Sources and image credit
- The White House — Trump press gaggle upon arrival in Fort Myers, October 23, 2026
- Associated Press via the Twin Cities Pioneer Press — lawsuit, responses and election context
- PBS NewsHour — Trump’s statement, case details and legal analysis
- The Guardian — independent report and additional expert reaction
- Image: official White House video still