Attorney General Blanche Defends Justice Department Suit Over Alaska Senate Ballot

US Attorney General Todd Blanche defended his department's lawsuit over Alaska's Senate race during Sunday morning television interviews, including appearances on CNN's State of the Union and CBS's Face the Nation. The suit seeks to stop the certification of a result that would deliver a Republican loss.

Blanche faced sharp questions about whether the effort is legal and at times answered with visible irritation. "Why is this controversial?" he asked CNN host Dana Bash. He accused one of the candidates of deliberately trying to confuse voters and said the aim was to create a situation in which that could be fixed. "That shouldn't be something that is causing this shock and horror," he said.

The Justice Department filed the lawsuit on October 22, less than two weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, and it has drawn criticism from both parties. Many critics say President Donald Trump's administration is laying the groundwork to block a Democratic win. Trump told reporters on Friday that he was behind the action: "I'm the one who said do it."

The contest pits Republican incumbent Senator Dan S Sullivan against Mary Peltola, a Democrat and former US representative. A third candidate, Dan J Sullivan, a former Forest Service employee, is also on the ballot. Both men are running as Republicans, and four candidates advanced from Alaska's August primaries. Some have suggested the second Sullivan is a spoiler meant to draw votes from the incumbent. He rejects that, calling the claim "entirely false" and saying he has no ties to the Peltola campaign.

In its filing, the Justice Department argues that any outcome would be "tainted by the inclusion on the ballot of Daniel J Sullivan." It asks the US District Court in Alaska to declare certification "unlawful" and to bar the state from allowing it. Under the Constitution, states run elections, though Congress may set rules for federal votes. Experts describe it as highly unusual for an administration to step into state certification and say the move is likely to be found illegal.

Alaska's Supreme Court ruled in June that both Sullivans may run, and the state's Division of Elections has taken steps to limit confusion. The ballot will label Dan S Sullivan as the incumbent and a registered Republican. Dan J Sullivan will appear with the suffix "Jr" and no party listed, even though he identifies as a Republican. Blanche, formerly Trump's personal lawyer, argued that two Sullivans on one ballot invites confusion regardless of how the courts rule.

The CNN exchange grew heated when Bash cited Trump's history of election denialism, including his rejection of his 2020 loss and the January 6, 2021, storming of the US Capitol. Blanche replied, "Oh, you've got to stop it with that." The two talked over each other, and Blanche told her: "You are not being a real person." He denied that the suit prepares the ground for contesting a Peltola victory, saying the relief sought is meant to keep incoming ballots preserved so a court could investigate further. On CBS, he declined to say whether Trump personally asked him to file, saying he would never discuss his communications with the president.

Republicans hold 53 of the Senate's 100 seats, and 35 are up in this cycle. About seven races are considered toss-ups, Alaska among them. The party is projected to face a difficult midterm amid anger over living costs and weak poll numbers for Trump. A New York Times and Siena College poll in early October put Peltola ahead of Sullivan by nearly 7 percentage points, one of the widest margins among the toss-up states.