DOJ moved to block Alaska Senate certification over Sullivan name clash
Why it matters: The race could help decide Senate control, and President Donald Trump said he directed the lawsuit himself.
The Justice Department sued to stop Alaska from certifying its U.S. Senate result if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses, arguing that another candidate with a similar name could confuse voters in the Nov. 3 election. The suit asks a federal judge to halt certification of any result potentially affected by votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan while officials investigate whether those ballots were intended for Dan S. Sullivan. Democrat Mary Peltola leads by 2 points in the polling average cited by CNBC, and the race is rated a toss-up. President Donald Trump later said he ordered the case. The complaint names the state, Elections Division Director Carol Beecher, state election boards and the Ballot Counting Review Board.