Doug Mataconis · · 1 comment

The Federal Judge assigned to Joe Miller’s lawsuit challenging the outcome of the Alaska Senate Election has dismissed the case after Miller decided to withdraw his request that the Court bar certification of the election results:

A federal judge today dismissed Republican Joe Miller’s federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of the Nov. 2 election, clearing the way for U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski to be certified as the winner.

U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline issued a 14-page order this afternoon in which he said Miller wasn’t raising any federal issues that he needed to resolve. He ordered Miller’s entire federal case dismissed. Beistline wrote that he would not second guess the Alaska Supreme Court, which already had ruled against Miller.

He also lifted a block on the election’s certification that he had previously imposed. State officials have said the election would be certified Thursday if the block were lifted.