US Judge dismisses Trump administration’s bid to block Alaska Senate result

A federal judge on Sunday tossed out an extremely unusual attempt by President Donald Trump’s administration to hold up a victory by a Democratic candidate for Senate in Alaska in the midterm elections.

The judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying it would be unworkable.

The Department of Justice had asked the court to block certification of the results if incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan loses on Tuesday, because a second candidate also named Dan Sullivan had drawn away votes.

The legal bid, which Trump has said he ordered personally, sparked alarm, given concerns that Republicans will seek to contest losses in the midterms battle for control of Congress. Alaska is one of the states where Democrats are aiming to flip Republican seats in their uphill bid to win the Senate majority.

According to Trump and the lawsuit, the Democratic candidate in Alaska, Mary Peltola, has tried to get an unfair advantage by recruiting a minor additional candidate named Sullivan to confuse voters who intended to back the incumbent Republican Senator Sullivan.

They sought to force an investigation if the Democrat wins to check how many voters voting for the second Sullivan really meant to choose the Republican incumbent.

Such an attempt “would likely result in voter ‘confusion and consequent incentive to remain away from the polls.’ Such late-breaking changes to the election rules are strongly disfavored,” the ruling by Judge Sharon Gleason said.

Peltola has denied deliberately recruiting the second Sullivan into the race.

AFP

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