DOJ set to appeal ruling in Alaska Senate race dispute over ‘Decoy Dan’ | 1 Nov 2026 | A federal judge on Sunday dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit seeking to delay certification of Alaska’s Senate election amid the “Decoy Dan” controversy, rejecting the Trump administration’s bid two days before the midterm elections. The DOJ said it would appeal. The lawsuit centered on two candidates with similar names: Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan and challenger Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. The DOJ lawsuit sought to delay or block certification while investigating whether voter confusion may have affected the outcome… The DOJ said it would appeal, arguing the judge dismissed the case on procedural grounds without addressing its claim that Sullivan Jr. entered the race to confuse voters. The case now heads to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.