Full Breakdown
Trump-Ordered DOJ Lawsuit Targets Alaska’s Ranked-Choice Voting
By Drooid · · How we work
Trump’s DOJ Lawsuit Over the Alaska Senate Race
President Donald Trump directed the Justice Department to file a lawsuit challenging Alaska’s ballot design for the 2022 Senate election. The complaint argues that the presence of two candidates named “Dan Sullivan” – incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and retired teacher Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., an independent – could confuse voters and affect the outcome, potentially benefitting Democratic nominee Mary Peltola. The filing was made after the Alaska Supreme Court had already ruled that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. could remain on the ballot.
Background: Ranked-Choice Voting and Candidate Confusion
Alaska adopted ranked-choice voting in 2022, allowing voters to rank preferences. In the Senate race, Murkowski held a narrow 43 % lead in first-choice votes before any transfers. Polls released later indicated that Peltola maintained a slim advantage over her Republican opponents in both the initial and final rounds. The ballot lists “(Registered Republican) Incumbent” after Dan Sullivan’s name, while Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. appears without a designation, a format Trump says is insufficiently clear.
Official Statements & Responses
Sen. She noted that the state’s Supreme Court had already addressed the ballot issue. Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the legal action, stating, “What’s the crime? Well, it depends,” and warning that voter confusion could prevent Alaskans from having their votes heard.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The Republicans’ Worst Senator, by far, Lisa Murkowski, of the Great State of Alaska,” — Donald Trump, president
- “At least let him use the name Senator Dan Sullivan as opposed to incumbent, because a lot of people don’t know what incumbent means,” — Donald Trump, president
- “What’s the crime? Well, it depends,” — General Todd Blanche, attorney
- “The Ranked Choice Voting Ballot is a TOTAL DEMOCRAT SCAM meant to confuse the Voter, so that Senator Dan Sullivan will lose Votes to a man who has never participated in Politics before,” — Donald Trump, president
These statements illustrate the stark disagreement between the White House’s push to alter Alaska’s voting process and the Alaska senator’s defense of the existing system. The lawsuit underscores ongoing partisan battles over election administration and the future of ranked-choice voting in the state.