Judge dismisses federal lawsuit over two Dan Sullivans in Alaska race

Alaska's Senate race has two candidates named Dan Sullivan, one the Republican incumbent, the other a candidate whose presence has prompted allegations of deliberate voter confusion. Democratic nominee Mary Peltola is running against both, according to CNBC.

The allegation is that Peltola's campaign helped recruit the second Sullivan to draw votes away from the incumbent. The Hill reported that federal authorities were examining whether the reported recruitment effort violated the law. That allegation is not an established criminal finding.

Peltola has denied involvement. ABC News reported on October 30 that she denied knowing of any other candidate on the ballot besides herself and the incumbent, saying, "I am not interested in tricking voters."

By October 28, the alleged recruitment effort had become a public controversy. DIE WELT reported allegations that Peltola's team had brought another Dan Sullivan into the race to take votes from the Republican senator.

On October 30, Alaska's top federal prosecutor confirmed a criminal investigation related to the alleged scheme. The Justice Department also sought a court order to isolate certain ballots to investigate potential voter confusion, according to Associated Press.

The request covered ballots ranking Dan J. Sullivan. NBC News reported that the filing cited possible voter confusion but did not explain how separating those ballots would establish whether a voter had been confused.

On October 31, Associated Press reported that the FBI had begun contacting donors to Dan J. Sullivan the previous day, asking about potential deception. Peltola repeated her denial of involvement at a Friday rally, according to The Hill.

Alaska's Republican-run state government pushed back on October 31. Its lawyers urged dismissal of the federal lawsuit and described the demand to set aside ballots as meritless and not possible, according to PBS.

On November 1, a federal judge dismissed the lawsuit seeking to block certification if the Republican incumbent lost, NPR Politics reported. The Independent reported that the judge called the requested relief "infeasible."

The civil lawsuit has been dismissed. The ruling rejects the Trump administration's attempt to intervene in certification before the election result is known, according to NPR Politics. The supplied coverage does not report a resolution of the separate criminal investigation.

The incumbent has pledged to honour the outcome, Al Jazeera reported. He has also maintained that the similar names are confusing voters and costing him support, according to New York Post. That remains his claim, not a measured finding about how ballots have been cast.

The immediate next step is the November 3 election, the date identified by Le Monde. The result could determine whether Republicans retain their Senate majority or Democrats take control, according to CNBC.

The other open question is what federal investigators establish about recruitment and possible deception. Associated Press reported FBI outreach to donors, but the coverage provides no announced criminal findings. The dismissal of the certification lawsuit does not itself answer those investigative questions.