The Qualifications for US Senator Are ...

1. At least 30 years old;
2. At least nine years a citizen of th United States; and
3. An inhabitant of the state he's seeking to represent.

This morning, the US Justice Department filed a transparently frivolous and vexatious lawsuit to prevent certification of the Senate election in Alaska if Daniel S. Sullivan doesn't win ... because one of his opponents is named Daniel J. Sullivan. So far as I know, both Dan Sullivans meet the qualifications laid out in the US Constitution.

Even if there was actually a "problem" here  (there's nothing in the US Constitution that forbids two similarly named people from running for office), it wouldn't be the Justice Department's problem, because:

1. The states, not the federal government, get to run elections; and
2. As I pointed out in a comment on another subject this morning, the Constitution is clear that "Each House [of Congress] shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members."

Is Daniel J. Sullivan's "independent" candidacy and campaign a cheap trick to boost Democrat Mary Peltola over incumbent Republican Daniel S. Sullivan? Almost certainly.

Should Alaska's voters inform themselves about the candidates and read their ballots carefully if they bother to vote? Yes, they should.

But most candidacies and most campaigns are full of cheap tricks, the guy's name is in fact his name, the voters are entitled to choose whichever candidates they choose, and the US Department of Justice has precisely zero standing to interfere in the matter.

The courts need to start personally sanctioning US attorney general Todd Blanche right in the bank balance every time he lets one of his underlings pull this kind of bullshit barratry -- or orders them to -- and referring said underlings to their state bar associations for disciplinary measures.