Attorney General Blanche Defends DOJ Lawsuit Over Alaska Senate Ballot in CNN Interview

Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Justice Department's lawsuit over Alaska's Senate race on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, about a week before the Nov. 3, 2026 election. The suit, filed last week, seeks to block certification of the result if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan narrowly loses. It cites likely voter confusion over Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher on the ballot. The DOJ said the confusion could help Democrat Mary Peltola, the former congresswoman who is narrowly ahead in polls. Under the suit, Alaska should not certify if Sullivan loses and the result would differ had votes for Daniel J. Sullivan gone to Senator Sullivan under rank-choice counting. Blanche said a court would decide later whether confusion produced an improper result. He said President Trump is not trying to take over a state election. The Alaska Supreme Court earlier let Sullivan Jr. stay on the ballot. Trump said Sunday that many people do not know what "incumbent" means, objected to the ballot wording and called rank-choice voting crooked. The ballot lists Sullivan as "Incumbent."

Left-leaning outlets MS NOW and NPR lead with Blanche defending the suit. MS NOW's headline carries his "could be a crime" remark and his denial of a takeover, while NPR's frames the suit as blocking results if a Republican loses. Both focus on the interview and the lawsuit's stakes, not on the on-air confrontations. Right-leaning Fox News and the Daily Caller lead with Blanche's clashes with host Dana Bash. Fox highlights him demanding CNN show the Elections Clause's second part, giving Congress power over election rules, and mentions the Alaska ruling. The Daily Caller features him cutting off Bash's Jan. 6 question with "Oh, stop it!" Both sides agree on the basic facts of the suit and the two-Sullivan dispute. They differ in framing: left headlines stress the legal challenge and its possible effect on results, while right headlines present Blanche pushing back against the interviewer. Newsweek and CNBC largely match the shared facts, though Newsweek adds Trump's comments.