Judge allows a man serving a 20-year prison sentence to remain on Alaska ballot

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A man who is serving a 20-year prison sentence can remain on Alaska’s ranked choice general election ballot in the race for the state’s only U.S. House seat, a judge ruled Tuesday.

State Superior Court Judge Ian Wheeles in Anchorage rejected a request by the Alaska Democratic Party to remove Eric Hafner from the November ballot. Hafner, who has no apparent ties to Alaska, pleaded guilty in 2022 to charges of making threats against police officers, judges and others in New Jersey. He is running as a Democrat in a closely watched race headlined by Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola and Republican Nick Begich.

Attorneys for the Alaska Democratic Party said state elections officials erred in placing Hafner on the ballot and that he did not meet the requirements to serve in Congress. They also said his being on the ballot would complicate the party’s efforts to get Peltola reelected.

It will “confuse voters by presenting them with a candidate, putatively a Democrat, who Plaintiffs do not support and who would not be entitled to serve if elected,” party attorneys David Fox and Thomas Amodio said in a court filing.

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