Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the Justice Department's lawsuit against Alaska, which seeks to block the state from automatically certifying its Senate election results. Blanche appeared on CNN's State of the Union, denying the suit was preparation for President Donald Trump to challenge outcomes in next week's midterm elections.
The lawsuit focuses on Alaska's Nov. 3 ballot and a name-confusion issue: Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg, is running for Senate bearing a name strikingly similar to incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.
Blanche said the department's position demands Alaska not "certify any election results that may be impacted by voter confusion." He clarified that the request means Alaska should not certify "if the law is broken," and that Alaska's courts would ultimately decide the matter.
Republicans contend Daniel J. Sullivan is running as a spoiler to divert votes from the incumbent. Daniel J. Sullivan has denied his candidacy is intended to confuse voters or siphon votes in the tight race against Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman.
The Alaska seat is critical for Republicans, who need to hold it to maintain Senate control during the second half of Trump's term.
When anchor Dana Bash pressed Blanche on whether the lawsuit laid groundwork for Trump to overturn election results, Blanche said directly: "We're not laying any groundwork for the president to do that. President Trump is not trying to take over a state election in any way, shape, or form."
Bash questioned Blanche about remarks he made to reporters in Virginia earlier in the week, in which he suggested the Justice Department could involve itself in vote certification in certain scenarios. She also asked if the Alaska case risked echoing the 2020 election aftermath and Jan. 6 attacks. Blanche dismissed the comparison, saying, "Oh, you got to stop it with that. You are not being a real person. Come on, man."
Democrats have argued the Justice Department's lawsuit amounts to election interference. The department maintains its concern is solely voter confusion from the name overlap.
