Anchorage groups protest federal election actions

The 907 Initiative and the Alaska AFL-CIO gathered outside the FBI Anchorage headquarters on November 2, 2026, to challenge federal election oversight.

The groups urged the US Attorney for Alaska and the Department of Justice to stop what they called voter intimidation. They argued the federal focus should shift to protecting ballot access for rural Alaskans. The organizations viewed recent federal actions as overreach.

A Federal Election Commission complaint filed earlier this year accused the 907 Initiative of illegal coordination with candidate Daniel J. Sullivan of Petersburg. The complaint centered on Amber Lee, a Democratic consultant who served on the 907 Initiative's board while working for Sullivan. Lee has denied wrongdoing. Sullivan shares the surname of the incumbent senator, which the groups say causes confusion.

Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed a United States case against the State of Alaska on Sunday. The federal government had sought a ruling to prevent the Alaska Division of Elections from certifying results if voter confusion impacted the outcome. The State, along with interveners including the League of Women Voters and Common Cause, moved to dismiss the case based on a lack of legal authority. The United States announced it would appeal the dismissal.

Heidi Drygas, president of the Alaska AFL-CIO, stated that the administration is using federal agencies to intimidate voters. She noted that urban voters have 16 days to vote, while many rural voters have only one day. This disparity gives rural voters just 6% of the access time available to their urban counterparts.

The Alaska Department of Elections lists over 100 rural voting sites as open. However, at least 18 absentee in-person sites in rural communities failed to open on time, opened late, or experienced problems during early voting. The Alaska Democratic Party and the Midnight Sun Independence Fund have filed lawsuits alleging election integrity issues at these locations.

U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman and FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew Schlegel held a press conference on October 30. They stated the FBI has investigated potential criminal charges for several months. Agents have visited at least four of the 12 donors to Sullivan's campaign. Barry Bracken, a 79-year-old Petersburg resident, was questioned at his home about his contribution. He asked if the FBI would also investigate donors to the incumbent senator's campaign to check for similar confusion.