Oct 23 (Reuters) – The Trump administration has sued Alaska to preemptively block the state from certifying the results of its US Senate race if the Republican incumbent candidate loses narrowly, saying voters could be confused because two Republicans on the ballot have almost identical names.
The Department of Justice’s lawsuit,, opens new tab filed in federal court in Anchorage on Thursday, signals the willingness of President Donald Trump’s administration to contest the results of the November 3 midterm elections that will decide control of the US Congress, where his fellow Republicans narrowly control both chambers.
The administration has taken an increasingly aggressive approach to election oversight, pressing states for voter-registration data and arguing that stricter measures are needed to ensure public confidence in the vote. Critics, including Democratic and some Republican election officials, view the moves as federal overreach.
Control of the Senate could come down to Alaska, where incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan is running a close race against Democrat Mary Peltola.
The suit, which names the state and local election officials as defendants, takes issue with the presence of another contender in the race, another Republican named Dan J. Sullivan Jr, alleging he is running “with the intention of misleading supporters of Senator Sullivan into voting for him.”
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