Judge fast tracks bids to dismiss DOJ lawsuit

Key Points:

• A federal judge in Alaska is expediting consideration of motions to dismiss a DOJ lawsuit seeking to delay certification of the state's U.S. Senate election due to possible voter confusion over two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot.
• The DOJ amended its suit to add a Supremacy Clause claim and cited reports alleging Democratic operatives recruited a third candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan to siphon votes from incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, a claim denied by the Peltola campaign and DSCC.
• State officials and the Democratic nominee Mary Peltola’s campaign argue the DOJ lacks legal authority to block election certification based on name similarities, emphasizing that federal election regulation is reserved for states and Congress.
• The judge set a tight schedule for responses and replies, leaving open the possibility of ruling on the dismissal motions before Election Day, which could affect certification timing in a race pivotal for Senate control.
• Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system complicates the election, with only Peltola and Sen. Sullivan seen as major contenders, and the DOJ seeks to delay certification if Sullivan loses by a margin potentially influenced by voter confusion.