Driving the news: “The vote totals for fake Dan Sullivan, along with the other ‘slug’ the Democrats put on the ballot, should be immediately allocated to the REAL Dan Sullivan, and the election is over,” Trump wrote in a message published Thursday.
- He added: “He wins easily. There is no other fair solution!”
In figures: Democrat Mary Peltola is in the running Thursday around 9 a.m. ET, but Sen. Sullivan is close behind with 75% of the votes counted, according to the Associated Press.
- Thursday morning, Sullivan, who was listed on the ballot as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.” was in last place in Alaska with 3,600 votes. Gerald L. Heikes, another Republican listed on the ballot, was in third place with more than 4,800 votes.
Catch up quickly: Controversy over the closely watched race intensified last month, when the Justice Department claimed that Sullivan’s presence on the ballot threatened to “mislead Alaska citizens who want to vote for Senator Sullivan” and argued that it was “vital” for Alaska election officials not to certify a result that could be affected “by voter confusion.”
- This came a few months after the Alaska Supreme Court upheld a ruling allowing Sullivan to run on the primary ballot.
- While Peltola’s campaign has denied any involvement in Sullivan’s candidacy, the New York Times recently reported that senior advisers coordinated with people to recruit him and try to attract others to the race.
The last one: A federal judge rejected the DOJ’s attempt to delay certification, but the department appealed the decision.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information.
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