US judge dismisses Trump election lawsuit in Alaska

US judge Sharon Gleason blocks Trump's latest bid to expand federal control over state-run elections

A federal judge on Sunday threw ​out a lawsuit by President Donald Trump's administration ‌seeking to block Alaska from certifying a loss by Republican Senator Dan Sullivan in Tuesday's ​midterm elections if votes for a ​rival who shares his name could have ⁠changed the outcome.

The ruling by US ​District Judge Sharon Gleason in Anchorage was ​the latest blow to Trump's efforts to assert a greater federal role in elections, which under the ​US Constitution are administered by the ​states.

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The race, in which Democratic former US Representative Mary ‌Peltola ⁠is challenging Sullivan, could prove critical for determining whether Trump's fellow Republicans can retain control of the Senate in the midterms.

The ​Trump administration ​has taken ⁠an increasingly aggressive approach to election oversight, pressing states for ​voter-registration data and arguing that stricter ​measures ⁠are needed to ensure public confidence in the vote. Critics, including Democratic and some ⁠Republican ​election officials, view the ​moves as federal overreach.