Alaska Senate candidate moves to dismiss Trump election lawsuit
Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) speaks to supporters at a watch party on November 08, 2022 in Anchorage, Alaska. Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) is running against former Republican Gov. Sarah Palin and others in Alaska's at-large congressional district. (Photo by
An Alaska Senate candidate has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration to block certification of Alaska’s U.S. Senate race if the Republican doesn’t win.
What we know:
Mary Peltola, the Democratic candidate for the senate seat in Alaska, filed a motion on Sunday saying the lawsuit is an unlawful attempt by the federal government to intervene in the state’s election administration.
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What they're saying:
"DOJ's complaint is wholly baseless. The fact that DOJ nonetheless chose to file it raises profound constitutional concerns," wrote lawyers for Peltola's campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
The backstory:
On Thursday, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit that argued that Alaska should be prevented from certifying its election if the Democratic candidate wins, if a second Daniel Sullivan, is allowed to stay on the ballot.
Daniel J. Sullivan, a previously unknown candidate, is the second Daniel Sullivan to qualify for the ballot in the pivotal election that could determine control of the Senate.
Big picture view:
Incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, faces Democrat challenger Mary Peltola in the midterm election. Daniel J. Sullivan, who entered the race without a party designation, is also on the ballot. Republicans have accused him of being a Democratic plant intended to siphon votes from the incumbent.
The challenge comes months after Alaska finalized its ballot in the state when its Supreme Court rejected a previous Republican attempt to remove the independent Sullivan.
The other side:
Alaska does have a ranked-choice voting system which does allow voters to select both candidates on a ballot if they are confused.
The Source: This story was written with information provided by The Associated Press and previous reporting by LiveNOW from FOX. This story was reported from Orlando.