Mary Peltola moves to dismiss DOJ lawsuit over Alaska Senate race
Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola has asked a court to throw out a Department of Justice suit alleging a namesake candidate is misleading voters.
Mary Peltola, the Democratic contender for Alaska's U.S. Senate seat, petitioned a court on Sunday to dismiss a Department of Justice lawsuit that accuses a candidate named Dan Sullivan of deliberately misleading Republican voters. Peltola described the suit as entirely unfounded and argued it raises serious constitutional issues. The case stems from the fact that the non-incumbent Dan Sullivan shares a name with Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, who is seeking reelection, and the DOJ alleges the younger candidate's sole purpose is to divert votes to Peltola.
Peltola previously won a 2022 special election and a full term in the House before being unseated by Rep. Nick Begich. The upcoming Senate race is projected to be one of the most contested battles for the chamber. The motion seeks to have the lawsuit dismissed outright.
Why it matters
The case could affect how candidate name confusion is handled in elections and impact a key Senate race.
How this story developed
- Oct 16 Trump heads to Georgia to rally GOP Senate and governor hopefuls
- Oct 18 Sen. Elissa Slotkin said she wants high-profile prosecutions of Trump-era officials to discourage recent graduates from seeking jobs in that administration.
- Oct 21 Donald Trump publicly attacked Slotkin over her remarks.
- Oct 22 The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent Alaska from certifying its Senate results if incumbent Dan Sullivan loses, arguing that a challenger sharing his name was entered to mislead voters.
- Oct 23 Alaska Supreme Court upheld Daniel J. Sullivan’s placement on the ballot after a lower‑court ruling.
- Oct 24 Voters and advocacy groups filed a motion to dismiss the Justice Department’s complaint.
- Oct 26 Trump’s Friday rally in Dalton was set for 3 p.m. EDT.
- Oct 26 Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he will pay a cash reward to anyone who provides information on alleged election fraud in past contests and the upcoming 2026 midterms.
- Oct 27 A $25 million fraud whistleblower fund was announced alongside the cash‑reward offer.
In this story
Related stories
12 in this thread