By Fatma Younis
President Donald Trump claimed on Friday that Alaska voters need a "190 IQ" to understand their Senate ballot, as his administration escalates legal efforts to block certification of the election result if the Republican incumbent loses by a margin attributed to voter confusion.
Trump's ballot criticism
During an interview with Kansas City radio host Pete Mundo, Trump repeated allegations that Democratic Senate nominee Mary Peltola's campaign helped recruit a candidate with a similar name to Republican Senator Daniel S. Sullivan to confuse voters. The ballot lists "Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr." without party affiliation and "Sullivan, Dan S. (Registered Republican) Incumbent." Trump said most people in Alaska and other states do not know what "incumbent" means, adding that the situation is as bad as the alleged voter fraud in 2020, despite no evidence of widespread fraud in that election.
DOJ lawsuit and criminal probe
The Department of Justice has sued to prevent certification of the election result if the incumbent's loss is attributable to voter confusion. Federal prosecutors have also opened a criminal investigation and issued new grand jury subpoenas to interview donors to Daniel J. Sullivan's campaign. Trump has called for criminal prosecution of both Peltola and Daniel J. Sullivan.
Peltola denies involvement
Peltola pushed back on Friday, saying she is deeply offended by accusations of involvement in another candidacy. She stated she is not soliciting more competition and does not need help winning the race beyond support from voters across the state. Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired teacher, has said he entered the race of his own volition.
Alaska officials challenge federal intervention
Alaska officials filed a court motion over the weekend seeking dismissal of the Justice Department's lawsuit, describing the attempt to preempt election certification as "both disturbing and impossible." They noted that state law, as interpreted by the Alaska Supreme Court, placed Daniel J. Sullivan on the ballot months ago, and that the court rejected a similar effort to remove him this summer. Officials said the ballot was carefully designed to minimize voter confusion.
Other state interventions
The Trump administration has also sought to intervene in other states ahead of the midterms, requesting that California set aside about 20,000 ballots it alleges may belong to non-citizen voters. A federal district judge and a panel of appeals court judges have rejected that request.
Tight race ahead of Election Day
With days remaining until Election Day, polls show Peltola and Senator Sullivan locked in a tight race. Democrats view Alaska as a potential pickup that could help them reclaim the Senate majority.
