Incumbent Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola of Alaska is at risk of losing reelection after a state judge allowed Democratic candidate Eric Hafner on the ballot to compete for her seat in November.
Peltola was originally up against Republican candidates Nick Begich and Nancy Dahlstrom after Alaska held its ranked-choice primary in August. Hafner, who has never lived in Alaska, originally finished in sixth place in the state’s primary with less than 500 votes but was bumped up to third place after Republicans Dahlstrom and Matthew Salisbury dropped out of the race. (RELATED: ‘Huge Step Back’: Dem Rep Slams Biden Admin For Climate Decision Strangling Oil Industry)
Hafner is currently serving a 20-year sentence in a New York federal prison for threatening elected officials and making false bomb threats. Hafner is set to run alongside Begich, Peltola and independent candidate John Wayne Howe.
US Representative Mary Peltola (D-AK) poses during a photo session after a campaign event in Anchorage, Alaska on September 17, 2022. Peltola is the state’s first Indigenous national legislator elected to Congress. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Alaska’s ranked-choice voting (RCV) primary system was adopted in 2020 and allows voters to order candidates on the ballot by preference, with the four top candidates advancing. Hafner received less than 1% of the vote in the primary, but because the margin between Begich and Peltola is expected to be slim, he could act as a spoiler candidate.
The Alaska Democratic Party sued the Alaska Division of Elections last week for allowing Hafner on the ballot, arguing that he was ineligible under state law and the U.S. Constitution. Anchorage Superior Court Judge Ian Wheeles dismissed the case Tuesday, giving Hafner ballot access.
“The situation that has unfolded is a direct result of ranked choice voting which Nick Begich has consistently spoken out against,” Bernadette Wilson, senior advisor for Begich’s campaign, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Fortunately, Alaskans will have the opportunity to undo this convoluted system in November. In the meantime, we look forward to having a robust discussion on the failed policies of the Biden administration which Mary Peltola has unequivocally supported as congresswoman.”
Peltola used the RCV to defeat former Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin by just 9% in 2022. Peltola only got 39.7%, while the remaining votes were split between Palin, who brought in 30.9%, and Begich, who got 27.8%.
“We’re disappointed by the judge’s ruling but remain confident Peltola will win in Nov.,” Democratic Party Executive Director Lindsay Kavanaugh said in a statement. “Unlike the Republican Party, we don’t have to scheme to win by asking candidates to drop out until a convicted felon gets on the general election ballot who received less than half a percentage of the votes cast during the primary. We have more respect than that for voters in Alaska; clearly, our candidates are more viable than theirs.”
Left-leaning groups and activists are pushing to get RVC on ballots in numerous states with proponents arguing that it would benefit the nominating process. On the other hand, conservatives generally oppose RCV, claiming it would confuse voters and primarily benefit Democrats.
Peltola’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the DCNF.
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