Federal judge dismisses Trump attempt to interfere in Alaska Senate race
Dan J. Sullivan, left, and Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, R-Alaska.AP; GettyShareAdd NBC News to GoogleNov. 1, 2026, 2:03 PM ESTBy Gary Grumbach and Alexandra MarquezA federal judge in Alaska on Sunday dismissed the Trump administration’s lawsuit seeking to separate and preserve certain ballots in the state’s upcoming Senate election, where GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan faces Democrat Mary Peltola.
In the last week, Peltola’s campaign has faced scrutiny after The New York Times reported the campaign and other Democrats recruited a candidate — Dan J. Sullivan — to run for the Senate with the same name as the incumbent senator.
Citing potential voter confusion, the Trump administration sought to separate and preserve ballots with votes for Dan J. Sullivan, arguing that if the incumbent loses, it may be because people voted for the other Sullivan by mistake.
In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason voiced concerns about voters’ right to a secret ballot.
“The absence of any explanation from the United States as to how its requested relief could redress its alleged injury while simultaneously maintaining the secrecy of the ballot is telling,” Gleason wrote.
Later, she added: “Requiring the segregation of ballots cast by voters for Daniel J. Sullivan so that these voters can be further investigated by law enforcement is not a remedy that this Court can or should order as it clearly violate Alaskans’ right to a secret ballot.”
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FOR SUBSCRIBERSTwo executives tried to build their dream of a never-ending cruise. This is how it all fell apart.FOR SUBSCRIBERSPoll: 2024 Trump voters explain why his coalition is fraying ahead of the midtermsFOR SUBSCRIBERS11 data centers and 264 generators surround this school. Is it safe for children?FOR SUBSCRIBERSBinance hack spotlights North Korea’s multibillion-dollar crypto theft operationFOR SUBSCRIBERSMajority of noncitizen voters charged by DOJ are lawfully in U.S.FOR SUBSCRIBERSSouth Korea had the world’s lowest birth rate. How cash and childcare helped it reboundFOR SUBSCRIBERS‘Sea change’: Early voting numbers show Hispanic turnout exploding in TexasFOR SUBSCRIBERSThe cruise of a lifetime was one thing — getting home after its abrupt end is its own adventureFOR SUBSCRIBERSIn Michigan’s Senate race, everything is on the table — including footballFOR SUBSCRIBERSWhy did Macklemore choose Dublin as his launchpad for ‘Free Palestine’ tour? FOR SUBSCRIBERSSo long, sunrise before 8 a.m.: What the impact of permanent daylight saving time would beFOR SUBSCRIBERSAnxiety grips Russian men over fears Putin will launch a stealthy draftFOR SUBSCRIBERSJudge orders Trump administration to hand over list of alleged noncitizen votersFOR SUBSCRIBERSCouple recalls ‘terrifying’ moment ICE officer punctured their car tireFOR SUBSCRIBERSMin Jin Lee considers the promise of educationSlide 1 of 1Republicans have criticized Dan J. Sullivan’s presence on the ballot for months, after he won a primary bid to be the fourth candidate on the general election ballot in August. The senator and his GOP allies long accused Democrats of recruiting the second Sullivan, a charge Peltola and her campaign have repeatedly denied.
Last week, the Times report cited on-the-record comments from Peltola’s former campaign manager, who was fired in August, about the campaign’s efforts to recruit a second Dan Sullivan to run for office. The campaign manager and several unnamed sources said operatives from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee joined the effort. Elisa Rios, the campaign manager who was fired, later sought to retract her comments.
On Sunday, the senator called Democrats’ effort “rigged and corrupt” in a CNN interview. He added that no matter the outcome, “I’m going to accept the election results.”
Gary GrumbachGary Grumbach is an NBC News legal affairs reporter, based in Washington, D.C.
Alexandra MarquezAlexandra Marquez is a politics reporter for NBC News.
