A federal judge tossed the Trump administration’s effort to halt certification of Alaska’s Senate election.
Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed the Justice Department’s suit on Sunday, saying the agency offered no plan to identify ballots meant for incumbent Dan Sullivan versus the so‑called decoy candidate Dan J. Sullivan.
She warned that ordering ballot segregation and a later investigation would confuse voters and depress turnout, making late‑breaking changes to election rules “strongly disfavored.”
DOJ Lawsuit Dismissed
The lawsuit claimed the presence of “Decoy Dan” threatened election integrity, arguing that voters could be misled in Alaska’s ranked‑choice system.
The Trump administration has appealed the decision and vowed to keep fighting.
A New York Times report last week said Democrat operatives, including staff for Mary Peltola, helped recruit the second Sullivan to siphon votes from the incumbent.
Justice Department spokeswoman Kiersten Pels said Alaskan voters deserve a fair election, not to be misled in an attempt to rig outcomes.
Peltola denied any knowledge of the recruitment effort, stating she knew only the incumbent and herself and was not interested in tricking voters.
