A federal judge on Sunday rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to block certification of the Alaska Senate election results before the vote.
The ruling dealt a significant setback to the administration just two days before the November 3 midterm elections.
The Justice Department argued that Daniel J. Sullivan, whom the Trump administration has labeled “Decoy Dan,” had entered the race as a “frivolous candidate to confuse voters.”
“Alaskan voters deserve a fair election, not to be misled in an attempt to rig outcomes,” the DOJ said in its filing.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason ruled that the Trump administration lacked standing to bring the lawsuit. The case sought to compel Alaska to separate ballots if Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan lost his reelection campaign to Democratic candidate Mary Peltola.
The Justice Department is appealing the decision, although it remains unclear whether any significant action will be possible before Election Day on Tuesday, November 3.
The Senate contest has drawn unusual national attention in recent weeks after reports that Daniel J. Sullivan, a Republican whose name is nearly identical to that of the incumbent, may have entered the race as a spoiler candidate in an effort to divide Republican support.
In its lawsuit, the Justice Department argued that the second Sullivan’s campaign was intended to “dupe Alaska’s voters into believing that he is Senator Sullivan.” The department asked the court to segregate the ballots if Peltola won. But Gleason said Sunday that doing so would be impossible without violating voters’ right to privacy and the secrecy of the ballot.
A sample election ballot is displayed in Anchorage, Alaska, showing both candidates named Daniel Sullivan
Voters cast ballots at a polling station in Anchorage, Alaska. The state’s U.S. Senate race has triggered a flurry of legal and political activity over a second candidate whose name closely resembles that of the Republican incumbent
This combination photo shows Trump-backed Republican Senator Dan Sullivan, left, in Palmer, Alaska, on August 17, 2026, and another candidate named Dan Sullivan in Alaska’s Senate race
The DOJ, she said, had offered “no workable plan” for separating the ballots without violating voters’ fundamental privacy protections.
“The absence of any explanation from the United States as to how its requested relief could redress its alleged injury while simultaneously maintaining the secrecy of the ballot is telling,” Gleason wrote.
READ MORE: Democrat Who Lost Michigan Senate Primary Backs Republican in General Election
“Simply, the Court cannot grant the United States the relief it seeks.”
The ruling came as Sullivan and Peltola remained locked in a close contest that the Cook Political Report had classified as a “toss-up.”
The outcome could also shift the balance of power in the Senate toward Democrats if Peltola defeats Sullivan in his reelection bid.
Gleason also refused to allow the Trump administration to amend its complaint further, saying such a move would be futile and would place an excessive burden on Alaska election officials with only two days remaining before the November 3 election.
The judge additionally warned that increased scrutiny of the ballots could discourage people from voting.
The dismissal followed concerns Gleason raised during a hearing the previous week about the timing of the DOJ lawsuit. She noted that Alaskans had already begun voting in the midterm elections and that the legal challenge came four months after the Alaska Supreme Court approved Daniel J. Sullivan’s appearance on the ballot, along with several distinguishing details intended to help voters identify the incumbent Dan Sullivan.
The decision marks the latest in a series of high-profile defeats for the Trump administration as it has sought, with limited success, to expand federal control over the midterm elections.
These efforts have touched off a torrent of lawsuits from state and local election officials, who argue that the efforts illegally infringe on states’ rights, including their right to administer elections under the Voting Rights Act and the US Constitution.
But it’s not the only effort the Trump administration has launched in Alaska in a bid to investigate the so-called ‘Decoy Dan.’
Last month, the Justice Department separately launched a criminal investigation into the campaign of the ‘second’ Dan Sullivan.
The extent of that probe is unclear, though it is believed to hinge in part on allegations of conspiracy under a Voting Rights Act-era law.
Peltola’s campaign and the national Democratic Party denied any connection to Daniel J Sullivan’s candidacy.
The White House directed the Daily Mail to the DOJ for comment.