After Alaska ballot ruling, Trump sees red in a one-word all-caps rage post

Trump reacts to court decision

Trump posted his response on Monday, attacking the federal court decision on Truth Social. The lawsuit sought to block certification of Alaska’s Senate contest if incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan did not win.

Trump had called for investigations and prosecutions over what he described as alleged ballot stacking. The article notes that the practice at issue is legal, though ethically dubious.

Two candidates named Sullivan

Sullivan faces Mary Peltola, who previously represented Alaska’s sole at-large House district. Polls have shown Peltola narrowly ahead. A second candidate with a similar name appears above the incumbent on the ballot as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.” No party affiliation is listed beside that candidate. Trump argued that votes meant for the incumbent could go to the other Sullivan. He also claimed, without evidence, that Alaska voters might not understand the term “incumbent.”

Judge cites voter privacy

Alaska officials described the lawsuit as baseless, saying officials could not determine voter intent without compromising ballot secrecy. The judge agreed that the remedies requested by the federal government were “infeasible” because many votes had already been cast.

Campaign links disputed

The New York Times reported last week that Peltola’s campaign was connected to efforts to encourage the second Sullivan to run. Sullivan said in June that he had not communicated with the Peltola campaign about his candidacy.