By — Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press Nicholas Riccardi, Associated Press By — Becky Bohrer, Associated Press Becky Bohrer, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/attorneys-for-alaska-say-meritless-trump-demand-to-set-aside-senate-ballots-not-even-possible Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Attorneys for Alaska say 'meritless' Trump demand to set aside Senate ballots 'not even possible' Politics Oct 31, 2026 6:22 PM EDT ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska's Republican-run state government on Saturday urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed at President Donald Trump's direction to stop the certification of a possible Democratic win in that state's pivotal U.S. Senate race, writing that there is "no reason for this Court to entertain this meritless lawsuit any longer." READ MORE: Justice Department seeks to isolate Alaska ballots as criminal probe underway over Senate candidate The scathing filing from the state's attorney general's office comes as U.S. District Court Judge Sharon L. Gleason set a deadline of Saturday for arguments over whether she should dismiss the lawsuit without even a hearing. The complaint from the U.S. Department of Justice has been roundly…
Attorneys for Alaska say 'meritless' Trump demand to set aside Senate ballots 'not even possible'
In short
The legal battle centers on a Department of Justice lawsuit, initiated under President Donald Trump, to block certification of the Senate race until potential voter confusion over two candidates named Dan Sullivan is investigated. State lawyers have petitioned U.S. District Court Judge Sharon L. Gleason to dismiss the suit with prejudice, calling the federal demands unfeasible and unfounded. Meanwhile, Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy has started an independent state inquiry alongside a federal criminal probe into campaign recruitment communications reported by The New York Times. Peltola has denied any role in coordinating the second candidate's entry.
Key points
- Alaska's government maintains that ballot distinctions and incumbent labels adequately pr…: Alaska's government maintains that ballot distinctions and incumbent labels adequately prevented voter confusion between the candidates.
- Isolating specific candidate votes after an election is legally and technically impossibl…: Isolating specific candidate votes after an election is legally and technically impossible without breaching voter privacy protections.
- Dual state and federal inquiries threaten to stall the formal certification of Alaska's p…: Dual state and federal inquiries threaten to stall the formal certification of Alaska's pivotal congressional election.