Alaska

Federal Judge Dismisses DOJ Lawsuit Over Alaska Senate Race, Calling Proposed Remedy 'Infeasible'

Democrats almost certainly engaged in dirty tricks, but to most any politician's relief, being underhanded is not illegal.

Joe Lancaster | 11.2.2026 12:25 PM

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(Al Grillo/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom)

On the eve of the midterms, it may be a bit of a surprise that the Alaska Senate race would be a focus of national attention.

But along with Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola, the ballot will include two other candidates, including a second Dan Sullivan—retired schoolteacher Daniel J. Sullivan.

For months, the latter Sullivan insisted he was a sincere candidate running for a seat in Congress' upper chamber, and sharing a name with the sitting senator was simply a coincidence and not an intentional attempt to siphon votes.

That story fell apart last week, when The New York Times reported that the Peltola campaign and Democratic Party strategists had actively recruited candidates, including Daniel J. Sullivan, to stack the ballot against the Republican senator.

After the Times report, President Donald Trump said Peltola and Daniel J. Sullivan "should be prosecuted." Gov. Mike Dunleavy wrote on X that he had directed state authorities "to investigate whether this scheme violated Alaska's laws and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted."

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) had already sued, asking the state not to certify the results of the election if the senator lost by a narrow enough margin that it could conceivably have stemmed from confusion over two Dan Sullivans. After the........

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