2026 midterms: Can Trump stop Mary Peltola from winning the senatorial elections in Alaska?

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Welcome to logout: The Trump administration is getting a head start in the midterms.

What’s going on? The administration is asking a federal district court in Alaska to potentially block certification of Alaska’s U.S. Senate race, should incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican, lose to his Democratic challenger, Mary Peltola.

This is the first major lawsuit from the 2026 midterm elections aimed at directly challenging the results, and most likely a sign of things to come after the election closes on November 3.

What is the administration talking about? Sullivan is currently in a tight race against Peltola, a former U.S. representative who polls suggest may hold a slight lead. But the race is complicated by the presence of a second Dan Sullivan, Daniel J. Sullivan, on the ballot (no relation).

According to the lawsuit, which names the Alaska State Elections Director and several state election entities as defendants, the election could be “tainted by the inclusion on the ballot of Daniel J. Sullivan.”

The suit requests that “defendants not certify any election results that could be affected by voter confusion,” which it defines as a loss for the incumbent Sullivan in the event the other Sullivan attracts enough votes to change the outcome of the election.

What is the context? Runner-up Dan Sullivan’s presence on the ballot has already been the subject of litigation. After initially being disqualified from the ballot, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that he should be included, and he finished third in the state’s August primary (the top four vote-getters appear on the ballot for Alaska’s general election).

How worried should I be about this? For the moment, not much. Trump filing lawsuits to challenge the election results was almost inevitable, although it’s surprising to see it start so soon.

None of this means he will succeed: Trump and his allies filed dozens of election lawsuits in 2020 and were widely ridiculed outside of court. (Plus, this particular trial was assigned to a judge appointed by President Barack Obama.)

And with that, it’s time to disconnect…

Hello readers, happy Friday! Here’s some good news to add to a recent spate of encouraging headlines about cancer treatment: A new vaccine could reduce the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by more than 40 percent, according to the Washington Post. You can read it all here with a giveaway link.

Thanks for reading, have a great weekend and see you Monday!