In an unexpected turn of events, a man serving a 20-year prison sentence for threatening officials in New Jersey has managed to secure a spot on Alaska's general election ballot for the state's lone U.S. House seat this November. Eric Hafner, who was convicted in 2022 for making threats against judges, police officers, and others, surprisingly made it onto the ballot after initially finishing sixth in Alaska's ranked choice primary.
Two Republican candidates, Matthew Salisbury and Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, withdrew from the race, paving the way for Hafner to advance to the general election alongside Alaskan Independence Party chairman John Wayne Howe, Democratic U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, and Republican Nick Begich.
Peltola emerged as the top vote-getter in the primary, followed by Begich and Dahlstrom, who had the backing of former President Donald Trump. Hafner received just 0.43% of the vote in the primary, far behind the frontrunners.
While there are no state laws in Alaska prohibiting felons from running for election, there is a requirement for elected U.S. representatives to reside in the state. Hafner, who is currently incarcerated at a federal prison in New York with a release date set for 2036, has no known ties to Alaska. Even if he were to win the election, he would likely not meet the residency requirement due to the lack of federal prisons in Alaska.
This is not the first time Hafner has attempted to run for a congressional seat. He has previously made unsuccessful bids in Hawaii and Oregon, as well as filing multiple unsuccessful federal lawsuits claiming candidacy in various other states.
