Alaska Argues Against Halting Senate Race Certification in 'Decoy Dan' Lawsuit

Alaska's Republican-led state government has urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed at the direction of President Donald Trump that seeks to halt the certification of the U.S. Senate race. The state's attorney general's office argued in a filing Saturday that the lawsuit is "meritless" and that there is "no reason for this Court to entertain this meritless lawsuit any longer."

U.S. District Court Judge Sharon L. Gleason had set a Saturday deadline for arguments on whether to dismiss the lawsuit without a hearing. The Department of Justice filed the complaint, requesting that the judge prevent the certification of a potential victory for Democrat Mary Peltola. The DOJ's suit centers on the presence of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on the ballot, raising concerns that voters might have been confused and cast ballots for a "spoiler" candidate.

The Department of Justice had also requested that ballots showing votes for the second Dan Sullivan be separated until it could be determined if voters were misled. Alaska's filing called this request "both disturbing and impossible," adding that it would violate voter privacy.

The state's filing asserted that election officials designed the ballot to minimize voter confusion. The incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan is listed as a Republican and the "incumbent," while the other candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan, is simply identified by name. "The Court should immediately dismiss this lawsuit with prejudice and allow state officials to conduct the general election — including ballot counting and certification — free from unwarranted federal interference," the state argued.

President Trump has also called for the prosecution of Peltola, following reports that internal Democratic campaign communications suggest involvement in recruiting the second Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, onto the ballot. This candidate is often referred to as 'Decoy Dan'.