Blanche says Trump isn't trying to meddle with Alaska election results
by suing over Senate race
[October 26, 2026]
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the
Trump administration's lawsuit to block certification of Alaska's Senate
results if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses the race and argued
that the legal challenge was a necessary step to avoid confusing voters
in the closely watched midterm race.
President Donald Trump, who said Friday that he was "the one that said
do it,” is not trying to overturn state election results “in any way,
shape or form” on the cusp of the Nov. 3 election, Blanche told CNN's
“State of the Union.”
“We wish that we didn’t have to do this. We hope for a resolution that
works,” Blanche said.
Republicans fear that a second candidate on the ballot who is named Dan
Sullivan — a retired teacher and school administrator from the tiny
fishing community of Petersburg — could siphon away votes from the
senator and tip the outcome in favor of Democrat Mary Peltola, a former
congresswoman.
A day after the lawsuit was filed on Thursday, Peltola called it “just
flagrant, flagrant corruption in my opinion” and a diversion tactic by
Republicans. Alaska’s other Republican senator, Lisa Murkowski, also
criticized the lawsuit in a social media post.
Trump told reporters on Sunday that he believed the ballot was illegal
because it was unfair and that Sen. Sullivan should be identified to
voters as the sitting senator.
“At least let him use the name Sen. Dan Sullivan as opposed to
incumbent, because a lot of people don’t know what incumbent means,”
Trump said.
Alaskan voters will see “Dan S. Sullivan” identified as a “registered
Republican” and “incumbent” on their ballots, while “Daniel J. Sullivan
Jr.” will not have a party affiliation.
Blanche represented Trump as a personal attorney before the Republican
president appointed him to lead the Department of Justice, which filed
the lawsuit in Alaska. Blanche defended Trump in his election inference
case before voters elected Trump to a second White House term,
effectively ending the criminal prosecution.
[to top of second column]
|
President Donald Trump walks past Attorney General Todd Blanche
after speaking at a roundtable event in the East Room of the White
House, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex
Brandon)
Blanche told CNN host Dana Bash that it was “crazy” for her to ask
him if Trump was trying to lay the groundwork for the same sort of
election challenges that occurred before a mob of his supporters
stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“We are not doing anything improper. We’re not doing anything we’re
not allowed to do. And we have to let the process play out," Blanche
said. "But I do think it’s important for the American people to
understand that we are not — (and) President Trump is not — trying
to take over a state election in any way shape or form.”
The lawsuit, he told CBS' “Face the Nation,” is meant to “put
guardrails in place” to preserve possible evidence of voter
confusion at the polls.
“It’s not saying, ‘Don’t certify.’ It’s saying, ‘If a court
ultimately determines that it was decided because of confusion and
not the will of the voters, then we do not think the states should
certify.’ And that’s consistent with federal law and consistent with
even Alaskan law, if that happens,” he said.
___
Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
