(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Remember when ranked-choice voting helped Democrats take a congressional seat in Alaska that Republicans had held for 50 years? That could soon change, according to analysis by the Daily Caller.
On Tuesday, a state judge ruled that Democratic candidate Eric Hafner, who is imprisoned in New York, can appear on the November ballot. This is despite the fact he has never lived in Alaska and is currently serving a 20-year sentence.
The Alaska Democratic Party sued to block Hafner from appearing on the general election ballot, arguing his sentence disqualified him from holding public office. Anchorage Superior Court Judge Ian Wheeles dismissed the case, keeping Hafner on the ballot.
As reported by the Daily Caller, Hafner could act as a spoiler candidate for incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola. She won the seat thanks to ranked-choice voting in a special election in 2022 against Republican candidates Sarah Palin and Nick Begich.
Begich is running again against Peltola in a close race for the seat previously held by Republicans.
“The situation that has unfolded is a direct result of ranked choice voting which Nick Begich has consistently spoken out against,” Begich’s adviser Bernadette Wilson said.
“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,” Wilson added.
The late Rep. Don Young held the seat from 1972 until his death on March 18, 2022. The 2022 special election exposed the controversy around ranked-choice voting.
Peltola received 74,817 votes in that election, while Palin got 58,339 and Begich 52,536. This result showed Republicans with 58.77 percent of the total vote, compared to Democrats’ 39.66 percent.
A similar trend was observed in the November election for a full term, with Republicans securing 49.44 percent of the votes to Peltola’s 48.66 percent.
