Follow-Up: Federal Judge Dismisses DOJ's Alaska Senate Ballot Lawsuit; DOJ Appeals to the Ninth Circuit the Same Day
The latest development: the U.S. Justice Department sued Alaska on October 22 over the state's U.S. Senate race, seeking to have ballots cast for namesake candidate Daniel J. Sullivan segregated and to block certification pending an investigation, a case this newsroom has covered in several earlier reports. On Sunday, November 1, U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason dismissed the lawsuit, and the Justice Department filed its notice of appeal the same day; the case is now before the Ninth Circuit as No. 26-7304.
The department's suit concerned Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan and another candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan appearing on the same ballot, arguing that voters could be confused. In a 20-page order, Gleason ruled that the department lacked legal standing and had provided no workable plan to segregate and investigate ballots while preserving voter secrecy, calling the requested relief infeasible. Alaska's government had called the case meritless and noted that the state supreme court approved the second Sullivan's candidacy months ago.
A Justice Department spokesperson said the case was dismissed on procedural grounds and that Alaska voters deserve a fair election. A spokesperson for Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola said no investigation or lawsuit would stop Alaskans from electing her; Peltola has denied involvement in recruiting the namesake candidate. Alaska voters will cast ranked-choice ballots on November 3.
Related: Follow-Up: Federal Judge Dismisses DOJ Alaska Lawsuit Over Same-Name Candidate Ballots
(Source: Associated Press)
Source: Associated Press
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于朱诺的阿拉斯加州议会大厦入口。Gillfoto 摄，CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Entrance of the Alaska State Capitol in Juneau. By Gillfoto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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- 2026-11-01Follow-Up: Federal Judge Dismisses DOJ's Alaska Senate Ballot Lawsuit; DOJ Appeals to the Ninth Circuit the Same DayThis story
