JUNEAU, Alaska -- A federal judge on Sunday dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska's U.S. Senate race if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses, the latest development in a ballot controversy that has roiled the final days of one of the nation's most closely watched races.

Sullivan, an ally of President Donald Trump, faces Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman, in a race that is among a handful expected to determine which party controls the Senate for the final two year's of Trump's term.

Tuesday's ranked-choice election also includes two candidates who have done little campaigning, one of whom shares the incumbent's name.