2 Days Before Vote, Judge Rejects DOJ's Alaska Senate Lawsuit

A federal judge dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit that sought to preemptively stop Alaska election officials from certifying the state's US Senate contest if the Republican candidate lost by a small margin, two days before midterm voting closes, according to Bloomberg.

US District Judge Sharon L. Gleason sided with Alaska in the ruling, which Bloomberg described as a rejection of the administration's effort to intervene in the vote before results were even in. The Department of Justice filed an appeal immediately after the dismissal, Bloomberg reported.

What did the DOJ lawsuit try to do?

The suit asked a court to block state officials from certifying the Senate race outcome if the Republican candidate, Sen. Dan Sullivan, lost by a narrow margin. The filing came as both chambers of Congress hang in the balance, with Republicans working to hold their Senate and House majorities, per Bloomberg's reporting.

Why did the judge dismiss the case?

Bloomberg's account does not detail Judge Gleason's full written reasoning beyond noting she "sided with Alaska" in throwing out the suit. The ruling landed two days before Election Day, leaving the certification process to proceed under existing state procedures rather than under a court-imposed hold sought by federal lawyers.

What happens now that DOJ has appealed?

The department's appeal means the underlying legal question — whether federal courts can order a state to pause certification based on a hypothetical narrow loss — is not resolved. Bloomberg reported the appeal was filed the same day as the dismissal, keeping the dispute alive even as voting continues.

Key dates

• Nov. 1, 2026: Judge Gleason dismisses the DOJ suit; DOJ appeals same day.
• 2 days: Time remaining before the Alaska Senate race and other midterm contests are decided at the polls, per Bloomberg.

What has Sullivan said about accepting the result?

Bloomberg's headline states Sullivan said he would accept the Alaska Senate election results if he loses. The outlet's reporting frames his position against the backdrop of the DOJ's separate legal push, though the two are not the same action — the lawsuit originated with federal lawyers, not Sullivan's campaign, according to Bloomberg.

What should voters and officials watch next?

• Whether the DOJ's appeal reaches an appellate panel before certification deadlines in Alaska.
• Whether the race is decided by a margin wide enough to make the certification dispute moot.
• How state election officials proceed with counting and certifying results absent any federal injunction.
• Whether other contested Senate or House races draw similar pre-certification litigation given control of both chambers is at stake, per Bloomberg.

The dismissal does not resolve the broader legal fight over federal intervention in state certification processes. Bloomberg's reporting, credited to Madlin Mekelburg, Matthew Griffin and María Paula Mijares Torres, notes the appeal keeps that question before the courts even as Alaska voters go to the polls.