Mary Peltola asked a federal judge to dismiss a Justice Department election lawsuit
Mary Peltola, Alaska’s Democratic Senate candidate, asked a judge to dismiss a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block certification if Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan loses. Her lawyers and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee called it an “unprecedented preemptive strike on democratic elections.” The ACLU and its clients also sought dismissal. U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason fast-tracked the case.
More context
Mary Peltola, the Democratic Senate candidate in Alaska, asked a federal judge to dismiss the Justice Department’s lawsuit seeking to block certification of the state’s Senate results. Peltola’s attorneys and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said the suit sought to intervene in the electoral process before results were known, calling it unprecedented. Filed last week, the suit alleges that unaffiliated candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.’s appearance on the ballot could mislead voters and seeks to stop certification if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses. The ACLU, on behalf of two Alaska voters, the League of Women Voters of Alaska and Common Cause, moved to intervene and also sought dismissal. District Judge Sharon Gleason agreed to expedite the case; Newsweek reported she intended to rule on intervention by 5 p.m. Oct. 28. The November 3 Senate race could help determine control of the chamber.
Was this story useful?
What was the main problem? (optional)
Reporting
- Newsweek — JD Vance Alleges Election Fraud Over Alaska Candidate With Same Name - Newsweek
- Devdiscourse — Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Peltola asks judge to toss US lawsuit over certification
- Democracy Now! — Trump Is Already Undermining Confidence in Midterm Election Results from Alaska to California: ACLU | Democracy Now!
Verifier’s note
Newsweek and Democracy Now report that Peltola’s campaign sought dismissal of the DOJ lawsuit, while Devdiscourse reports the same motion in a Reuters wire story. The New York Times describes a separate motion filed by Alaska, not Peltola.