A man serving a 20-year prison sentence will remain on Alaska’s ranked-choice general election ballot for the state’s only U.S. House seat, as ruled by a judge on Tuesday. State Superior Court Judge Ian Wheeles, in Anchorage, denied a request from the Alaska Democratic Party to remove Eric Hafner from the November ballot. Hafner, who has no evident ties to Alaska, pleaded guilty in 2022 to making threats against police officers, judges, and others in New Jersey. He is running as a Democrat in a closely contested race, featuring Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola and Republican Nick Begich.
Attorneys for the Alaska Democratic Party argued that state elections officials made an error by placing Hafner on the ballot, claiming he did not meet the qualifications to serve in Congress. They also contended that his presence on the ballot would hinder the party’s efforts to secure Peltola’s reelection. The attorneys, David Fox and Thomas Amodio, stated that Hafner’s candidacy would confuse voters by presenting them with a candidate ostensibly representing the Democratic Party, whom they do not support and who would not be eligible to serve if elected.
Alaska employs an open primary system, allowing the top four vote-getters, irrespective of party affiliation, to move forward to the ranked-choice general election. Hafner initially finished sixth in the primary with only 467 votes but was added to the general election ballot after two Republicans, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom and Matthew Salisbury, who finished third and fourth, respectively, withdrew from the race. Peltola, Begich, and Dahlstrom were the most notable candidates, securing a combined 97.4% of the vote.
Begich, advocating for the repeal of Alaska’s open primary and ranked-choice voting system, has called on conservatives to consolidate their efforts to maximize their chances of defeating Peltola in November. John Wayne Howe, a member of the Alaskan Independence Party who originally placed fifth in the primary, also qualified for the November ballot.
To run for the House, candidates must be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and an inhabitant of the state they intend to represent at the time of the election. Four out of the 12 candidates in Alaska’s House primary, including Hafner, listed out-of-state campaign addresses. Hafner’s candidate declaration, filed with the state Division of Elections, lists a federal prison in New York as his current mailing address.
