Judge allows convicted man to stay on Alaska House ballot

A judge has ruled that a man serving a 20-year prison sentence can remain on Alaska’s general election ballot for the state’s only U.S. House seat.

The decision was handed down on Tuesday by State Superior Court Judge Ian Wheeles, who rejected efforts by the Alaska Democratic Party to remove the candidate, Eric Hafner, from the race.

Hafner, who pleaded guilty in 2022 to threatening police officers, judges, and others in New Jersey, has no apparent ties to Alaska. Despite this, he is running as a Democrat in a contest dominated by incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola and Republican challenger Nick Begich.

Hafner’s candidacy has sparked concern within his own party, which argued in court that his presence could undermine their efforts to secure Peltola’s reelection.

In their request to remove Hafner from the ballot, the Alaska Democratic Party’s attorneys claimed that state election officials had made an error in allowing him to run and argued he does not meet the constitutional requirements to serve in Congress.

They also expressed concerns that his candidacy could confuse voters and disrupt the party’s electoral strategy. “Presenting voters with a candidate, putatively a Democrat, who Plaintiffs do not support and who would not be entitled to serve if elected, is problematic,” party attorneys David Fox and Thomas Amodio stated.

House members are constitutionally required to be at least 25 years old, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years and an inhabitant of the state in which they’re running when elected. Four of the 12 candidates in Alaska’s House primary, including Hafner, listed out-of-state campaign addresses.

Hafner originally finished sixth in the primary, securing just 467 votes. However, due to the withdrawal of two higher-ranking Republicans, he was placed on the general election ballot.

Alaska’s open primary system allows the top four vote-getters to advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. Rep. Mary Peltola, who is seeking reelection, remains the dominant candidate in the race. Along with Begich, the two received the lion’s share of the vote in the primary.

Hafner’s inclusion on the ballot has sparked debate about the integrity of Alaska’s election process and raised questions about how voters will respond to a candidate who is currently behind bars. Despite his lack of ties to Alaska and his criminal record, Hafner will remain on the ballot, as Judge Wheeles ruled that there was no legal basis to remove him, leaving the voters of Alaska to decide his fate in the upcoming election.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press