Alaska election officials reject DOJ delay bid as Senate race faces final week

Alaska election officials said on Tuesday that a New York Times report about a Democratic candidate sharing the same name as the Republican incumbent does not change their opposition to a Justice Department lawsuit. The federal suit seeks to delay the certification of the state's Senate race. With less than a week remaining until the November 3 election, the dispute threatens to cast a shadow over one of the most competitive contests in the country.

A spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Law, Sam Curtis, told CNN in an email that the Times story confirms initial concerns officials had about the candidacy of Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher. Curtis stated that the report has no impact on the current litigation. He noted that placing candidates on the ballot is a matter of state law, not federal law.

The Alaska Supreme Court has already ruled that Daniel J. Sullivan will appear on the ballot. Curtis argued that the federal law cited by the Justice Department does not dictate who can run in elections. He added that the law does not authorize the specific relief the federal government is seeking in court. The state division remains bound by the supreme court order and is committed to running a fair election.

The legal fight follows a report published Wednesday that detailed efforts by Democrats to recruit a candidate with the same name as Senator Dan S. Sullivan. The report rattled the race just days before voters head to the polls. Mary Peltola, the former at-large House member and a top Democratic recruit, continues to deny any involvement in Daniel J. Sullivan's campaign.

Republicans have reacted strongly to the reporting. President Donald Trump, who said last week that he directed the Justice Department to file the lawsuit, posted multiple messages on Truth Social slamming Peltola. In one post, he wrote that she should be removed from the ballot and prosecuted. He added, So should the FAKE Dan Sullivan. Nothing else will do!

Nate Adams, the campaign spokesman for Senator Dan S. Sullivan, accused Peltola of spending months gaslighting Alaskans. Adams said in a statement that the campaign always knew this was a concerted effort to deceive voters. He claimed Peltola was hoping the issue would stay covered up until after the election.

Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News that the Times story proves the Justice Department was right to bring the federal lawsuit. However, when pressed on whether any illegal activity occurred that would allow the federal government to intervene in a state-run election, Blanche could not say. On Wednesday, the Justice Department told a federal judge it wants to seek answers and evidence from Peltola's campaign regarding the report, which the department called a conspiracy.

Legal experts noted that both parties have used similar tactics in past elections. Republicans contributed to a super PAC that attacked Peltola in the primary and promoted lesser-known Democratic and Green Party candidates. Election law specialist Rick Hasen told CNN that the current situation is a more extreme version of standard party strategy. He said parties often try to find a candidate who can siphon votes away from the major party competitor.

Dean Franita Tolson of the University of Southern California Gould School of Law said the Times reporting does not give the lawsuit more credence. She argued that the federal government should not try to block certification of a race simply because it does not like the outcome. Derek Muller, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, said the report likely makes the Peltola campaign look bad to some voters. He added that from a litigation perspective, the development likely will not affect the case at this stage.