Man Serving 20-Year Sentence Makes Ballot for US House Seat

A man currently serving a 20-year jail sentence in New York recently got on a ballot in Alaska.
On Wednesday, Eric Hafner made it onto Alaska’s ballot for the state’s lone House seat in the 2024 election. Hafner was convicted in 2022 for making threats to kill judges, police officers and others, receiving a 20-year federal prison sentence. He originally finished sixth in Alaska’s ranked-choice primary, which advances only the top four vote-getters to the general election.
However, Republican candidate Matthew Salisbury withdrew his name from the race just before the deadline on Monday. Similarly, Republican Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom withdrew her name from the state’s ballots last month.
These exits allowed Hafner to be on the November general election ballot alongside Alaskan Independence Party chairman John Wayne Howe, as well as frontrunners Democratic Representative Mary Peltola and Republican Nick Begich.
Peltola secured the most votes in a crowded field of 12 during the August 20 primary, with Begich and Trump-backed Dahlstrom trailing behind. Far behind the frontrunners were Salisbury and Howe, who together garnered just over 1 percent of the vote, leading the remaining candidates. Hafner received only 0.43 percent of the vote.
In Alaska, there are currently no state laws that prohibit a felon from running in elections, allowing Hafner and former President Donald Trump to appear on ballots in the 2024 election.
However, state law mandates that a U.S. representative must reside in Alaska. Hafner, who has no known ties to the state, is currently serving time at a federal prison in Otisville, New York, with a release date set for October 12, 2036, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. With no federal prisons in Alaska, Hafner would likely be unable to meet the residency requirement if elected.
This isn’t Hafner’s first bid for Congress. He has previously run unsuccessfully in Hawaii and Oregon. He has also filed numerous unsuccessful federal lawsuits in recent years, claiming to be a candidate for congressional races in states like New Mexico, Nevada and Vermont.
A bio for Hafner listed on the Alaska Division of Elections states: “America is at a crossroads that has ripped the heart of our country. Never before have we been so polarized spewing hate to fellow Americans. Previously, we have had differences but civility and common goal of “one nation” have prevailed.”
“My class exposure to ‘History of WWII’ taught me first hand, hearing our veterans tell personal stories of sacrifice and horror, that war is to be avoided at all costs-not only for our valiant soldiers who selflessly gave their lives but for all families that are innocent bystanders to horror,” the bio adds.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.