The federal judge handling the Justice Department’s bid to block certification of Alaska’s Senate race if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan narrowly loses signaled considerable skepticism of DOJ’s legal strategy on Monday.

In her first order acknowledging the case, District Judge Sharon Gleason highlighted the last-minute nature of the government’s actions, especially as Alaskans have already begun casting their ballots.

“After Alaskans had already begun casting their ballots for the November 2026 election – and nearly four months after the Alaska Supreme Court directed the Division of Elections to include Daniel J. Sullivan on the ballot for the upcoming United States Senate election – the United States initiated this action on October 22, 2026,” Gleason said.