President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit aiming to block the certification of Alaska’s Senate race if Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan loses to his opponent more than one week before the midterm election.
In a bold move, the Trump administration has made it clear that it will not go down without a fight amid the potential for a shift in power in the coming weeks.
Trump’s Lawsuit
According to the lawsuit filed Friday, Independent candidate Daniel J. Sullivan could cause confusion for voters at the polls as his name is similar to the incumbent’s.
“For example, some supporters of Senator Sullivan likely will inadvertently vote for Daniel J. Sullivan,” the filing stated, per NBC News. “To guard against this danger, it is vital that Defendants not certify any election result that may be impacted by voter confusion.”
According to the filing, the administration is seeking a court order to block the results from being certified if “(1) Senator Sullivan does not win the election; and (2) had all votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan been cast instead for Senator Sullivan and Alaska’s rank-choice process played out accordingly, Senator Sullivan would have won the election.”
President Trump Takes Credit
Sen. Sullivan previously accused the Democratic party of planting an opponent with the same name in order to confuse his supporters. He urged Alaska state officials to remove Dan J. Sullivan’s name from the ballot. The dispute was escalated to the Alaska Supreme Court, which ordered officials to include Dan J. Sullivan’s name on the primary ballot.
Despite the senator’s previous attack on his opponent, it was the President who took credit for the lawsuit.
“Well, I’m the one that said to do it,'” the former reality star told reporters in Florida on Friday, October 23, calling Dan J. Sullivan “a disgrace”.
Mary Peltola, the Democratic nominee in the Senate race, voiced her opinion in a pointed social media post.
“This is the corruption AK is fed up with, and it’s why I’m in this race,” she wrote. “Sullivan has enriched himself at our expense for 12 years. Now he’s using his DC allies to try to keep himself in power and put his own interests ahead of Alaskans. We will make sure every Alaskan is heard.”
Trump Files Lawsuit to Block Alaska Election Results if Republican Loses