US judge dismisses Trump election lawsuit in Alaska

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. Read More: Bill Maher compares Donald Trump to Taylor Swift in response to president's criticism 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.