Alaska Urges Dismissal of Trump-Directed Lawsuit Challenging Senate Election

Alaska’s state government is urging a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit directed by former President Donald Trump, which seeks to halt the certification of a potential Democratic win in the state’s U.S. Senate race. The state argues the lawsuit is “meritless” and “not even possible” to entertain. The Department of Justice has also requested the judge separate ballots showing votes for a second candidate with the same name as Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, to determine if voters were misled. The complaint alleges voters may have been confused by the presence of a second candidate on the ballot, potentially impacting the outcome of the race for Democrat Mary Peltola.

Alaska’s attorney general’s office filed a scathing response Saturday, stating there is “no reason for this Court to entertain this meritless lawsuit any longer.” U.S. District Court Judge Sharon L. Gleason set a Saturday deadline for arguments regarding dismissal. Election law experts have widely criticized the Justice Department’s complaint. The state government, run by Republicans, is actively opposing the effort to delay certification.

Left-leaning and right-leaning outlets both report the state’s strong opposition to the lawsuit, and the Justice Department’s request to separate ballots. The Washington Examiner and Newsmax both report the state's assessment that the lawsuit is 'not even possible.' PBS NewsHour notes the Department of Justice's request to separate ballots for review.

Background

• The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating potential voter confusion in Alaska’s Senate race due to a third-party candidate sharing a name with the Republican incumbent [Fact Refinery, 2026-10-31].
• Former President Donald Trump directed the Justice Department to file the lawsuit challenging the Senate race certification [Fact Refinery, 2026-10-31].
• Early voting totals nationwide were approaching 50 million as of the weekend, following 112 million total votes cast in the 2022 midterm elections [Fact Refinery, 2026-10-31].
• Ranked-choice voting is used in Alaska, allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference [background knowledge].

Our reading

Our reading is that despite a Justice Department investigation and a lawsuit initiated by the former President, Alaska’s state government is actively working against efforts to delay certification of the Senate race. The state’s strong opposition, publicly voiced by both left- and right-leaning outlets, suggests a clear disagreement with the federal intervention. The fact that the state deems the lawsuit “not even possible” indicates a belief that the legal challenge lacks merit and is unlikely to succeed.

What to watch

• The judge’s ruling on the motion to dismiss the lawsuit, expected soon, will indicate whether the court finds the claims credible enough to proceed [U.S. District Court, Alaska].
• The Department of Justice’s findings after separating the ballots, if released, could reveal whether a significant number of voters were demonstrably misled [Department of Justice].
• Any further statements from Alaska’s attorney general regarding the state’s position, which could signal a willingness to pursue legal action against the federal government [Alaska Attorney General’s Office].

Was this useful? 👍 0 👎 0

---

Read the original coverage