Follow-Up: Peltola Campaign Moves Overnight to Intervene in Alaska Senate Certification Case, Calling DOJ Demand an 'Extraordinary Assault' on Democracy
The Justice Department's lawsuit seeking to hold up certification of Alaska's U.S. Senate election has drawn a new challenge: Alaskans for Mary, the campaign organization of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee moved overnight to intervene in the case in federal court, opposing the department's demand. (GSM, via the Associated Press)
In their filing, the two groups called the Justice Department's demand "an extraordinary assault" on democracy and "insulting" to the people of Alaska. The department, they wrote, "acting on the President's personal orders," is asking the court to enjoin certification of the ongoing Senate election "but only if the President's preferred candidate loses." "Alaskans, apparently, must elect Senator Dan S. Sullivan or the President will not let them elect anyone at all," they added.
The background: the Justice Department sued Alaska and its election officials in federal court in Anchorage on Thursday, arguing that another candidate on the ballot, Daniel J. Sullivan, has nearly the same name as the incumbent senator and could confuse voters. It asks the court to hold certification if Sen. Sullivan loses and would have won had every vote for his namesake gone to him instead under the state's ranked-choice count, pending an investigation into whether those votes were cast for the wrong Sullivan. President Trump told reporters on Friday that he ordered the lawsuit: "I'm the one that said do it." The department says the suit protects election integrity.
The senator's campaign said it would let the complaint proceed and that Alaskans can tell the candidates apart. State election officials said they were reviewing the lawsuit and remained focused on running the election. Legal scholar Derek Muller noted that under ranked-choice voting, a voter who wants the incumbent can rank both Sullivans first and second, limiting any confusion, and called the lawsuit "absurdly thin." The election is on November 3; the ballot also includes Gerald L. Heikes alongside Peltola, Sen. Sullivan and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：阿拉斯加州联邦参议员 Dan Sullivan 官方肖像。照片：美国参议院，公共领域。 / Photo: Official portrait of U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska. Photo: United States Senate, public domain.
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