Trump rips Alaska’s ‘corrupt’ ranked choice voting in attack on Murkowski

As of October 25, 2026, the Trump administration sued to block Alaska from certifying its Senate election results if Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan loses to Democratic challenger Mary Peltola, citing potential voter confusion due to another candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. running on the ballot. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit claiming that Daniel J. Sullivan deliberately sought to confuse voters and benefit Peltola, arguing that some supporters of Dan S. Sullivan might inadvertently vote for Daniel J. Sullivan or not rank Dan S. Sullivan at all under Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system. Democratic attorneys, however, asked a federal judge to dismiss the case, asserting it undermines democratic elections by assuming voter incompetence. President Trump also criticized Alaska's ranked choice voting system as "corrupt," though Murkowski, a Republican senator from Alaska, denounced the DOJ lawsuit and defended her state's ability to manage its own elections.