In a dramatic turn of events, the Alaska Democrat Party is now expressing disdain over the ranked-choice voting system (RCV) with the same fervor that Republicans have shown for years. This change in attitude is fueled by the shocking inclusion of an out-of-state felon on the House ballot – a development that has ignited significant backlash within the Democratic party.
Eric Hafner, a Democrat currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in New York for threatening public officials in New Jersey, has never lived in Alaska and has no ties to the state. Yet, astonishingly, he has advanced to the “final four” candidates on the November ballot due to the dropout of two Republican competitors ahead of him.
How did an incarcerated felon with no Alaskan residency even make it onto our ballot? This fact highlights one of the glaring flaws in our damaged election system.
Hafner’s unexpected place on the November ballot has ignited a strong response from the Democratic Party, who recently sued the Division of Elections in an unsuccessful attempt to remove Hafner. Hafner’s inclusion threatens to split the vote, echoing the 2022 Palin-Begich dynamic.
But Hafner’s place on the ballot isn’t the first instance we’ve seen of outsiders attempting to influence our elections. In 2022, Shoshana Gungurstein, an actress from California, launched a campaign in Alaska for U.S. Senate.
Gungurstein registered to vote in Alaska in April of 2022, then subsequently filed her candidacy. Gungurstein’s late registration disqualified her from running in any state-level races, but the U.S. Constitution, being looser with its election laws, allowed her to run for U.S. Senate. Her campaign was also primarily funded by out-of-state donors.
The rising occurrences of outsiders attempting to weasel their ways into our elections, suspicion about Dominion voting machines, and the influx of dark money from outside sources, have led both Democrats and Republicans to question the integrity of our election system. It’s clear that our democratic process is under threat. Alaska’s Supreme Court has already addressed the unconstitutionality RCV, but the fight isn’t over.
Support our efforts by visiting www.yeson2ak.com and voting YES ON 2 this November to ditch RCV as our electoral method.
Mikaela Emswiler is with Yes on 2, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all Alaskans by providing education and advocacy concerning policy issues impacting Alaska and the nation, including education and research about how Alaskan elections operate.
lol no
“same fervor that Republicans have shown for years” oof, no context is a classic GOP misinformation tactic “Eric Hafner, a Democrat” you are either purposefully misleading readers or gullible “our damaged election system” please cite your sources “How did an incarcerated felon with no Alaskan residency even make it onto our ballot?” Spineless Republicans attempting to subvert the will of the people “The rising occurrences of outsiders attempting to weasel their ways into our elections, suspicion about Dominion voting machines, and the influx of dark money from outside sources, have led both Democrats and Republicans to question the integrity of… Read more »
No thanks
It should surprise no one that the author of this piece was Kelly Tshibaka’s Operations and Events coordinator, a small fact that she and the publisher of this blog failed to disclose. You can count on one hand the number of years that she’s been in this state, and have a couple of digits left over. Just Say No to these carpetbaggers. And do note that this piece was also published over at Must Read Alaska. Gotta love the new synergy between MRAK and AKLM, no to mention Jeff’s weekly calls into Porcaro where his new mantra is railing against… Read more »
Hafner’s presence on November’s ballot has nothing to do with RCV. Haffner qualified by winning more votes from Alaskans than all but five competitors, and by then seeing two more-popular candidates drop out.
Someone should tell Mikaela Emswiler and her editor Jeff Landfield the names of America’s two leading political parties. These are easy skills for non-trolls to master.
There’s no such thing as the “Alaska Democrat Party,” but this childish attempt at denigration tells you everything you need to know about the author’s motivations.
Your very first sentence hinted at the “nonpartisan” force driving your YES on 2 effort and organization.
It is Alaska Democratic Party. It is not your disparaging “Alaska Democrat Party”. So many of you “nonpartisans” take off the clown suits but forget the big red nose.