▲ President Trump and Republican Senator Dan Sullivan
The state government of Alaska has taken action to counter a lawsuit by the Trump administration that seeks to block the official certification of election results if the Republican Senate candidate narrowly loses in the November 3 midterm elections.
According to The New York Times (NYT) on the 27th (local time), the Alaska state government asked a federal court the previous day to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice.
Previously, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on the 22nd asking to block the certification of election results if Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan narrowly loses to Democratic candidate Mary Peltola in the Alaska Senate election.
The Justice Department argued as its basis that a candidate with the same name as Senator Sullivan was included on the ballot, which could confuse voters, and that the official certification of the election results should be withheld until voters' actual intentions are verified.
However, the Alaska state government explained in a filing submitted to the court that day that it had taken sufficient measures to ensure voters would not confuse the two candidates with the same name.
Running in the Alaska Senate election are Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan and another candidate with the same name, Dan J. Sullivan.
Republicans claimed that the Democrats put forward a candidate with the same name as the Republican candidate in an attempt to cause voter confusion, but the candidate in question and the Democrats have denied this.
In the filing, the state government explained that on the ballot, the incumbent senator is listed as "Dan" and the newcomer candidate as "Daniel," with their middle initials also included, and specified that only Senator Sullivan belongs to the Republican Party.
The Alaska state government argued that an unlimited investigation to verify voters' intentions would "seriously threaten the integrity of the election process."
In particular, Alaska is led by Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy, creating a dynamic where the Republican state government and the Trump administration are at odds over this lawsuit.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska granted an expedited hearing so that a conclusion can be reached before election day, and ordered the Trump administration's lawyers to submit a response regarding the matter by the 29th.
Previously, President Trump stated that he directed the Justice Department's lawsuit, fueling controversy over executive branch interference in the election ahead of the midterms.
In the Alaska Senate election, Senator Sullivan and candidate Peltola are engaged in a tight race.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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