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Justice Department lawsuit seeks to halt Alaska Senate certification if Sullivan loses

President Trump says he ordered the filing, while legal experts and Senator Lisa Murkowski dispute its legality.

Updated Oct 29, 2026 · 01:22 UTC5 reports

The short version

The Justice Department sued Alaska election officials to block certification of November's Senate results unless Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan wins.[NBC News]
President Trump says he instructed the filing, and Attorney General Todd Blanche said DOJ does not intend to improperly interfere with certification, though he did not rule out an extreme scenario.[BBC News · France 24 · NBC News]
Legal experts, including Notre Dame law professor Derek Muller and David Becker of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, dispute the department's authority, and Senator Lisa Murkowski said the suit should never have been filed.[France 24 · Associated Press]
Alaska's Supreme Court earlier ordered candidate Daniel J. Sullivan kept on the ballot, and whether the new suit succeeds remains unresolved.[ABC News]

The Justice Department filed suit against Alaska election officials seeking to block certification of the November Senate results unless Sen. Dan Sullivan wins.[NBC News · ABC News]
President Trump told reporters he instructed the administration to file the lawsuit.[BBC News · France 24]
Alaska's Supreme Court previously rejected a Republican effort to remove candidate Daniel J. Sullivan from the ballot.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department does not intend to improperly interfere with state certification, but did not rule out involvement in an extreme scenario.[NBC News]
Notre Dame law professor Derek Muller said the lawsuit lacks legal merit and that the statute does not let the department enjoin certification.[Associated Press]
David Becker of the Center for Election Innovation and Research said the administration has no authority to tell Alaska when or how to certify its Senate results.[France 24]
Senator Lisa Murkowski said the Justice Department should never have filed the lawsuit.[France 24]

It is unclear why the department chose to seek action now, with Election Day less than two weeks away.[NBC News]
Whether a court will grant the requested relief before certification has not been resolved in the reporting.[NBC News · ABC News]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.