Eric Hafner, a registered Democrat incarcerated in a federal prison in New York, advanced from the primary election for Alaska’s U.S. House seat on Wednesday. Hafner previously ran for the same position in 2024 and secured a general election ballot spot that year despite opposition from the Alaska Democratic Party.
Hafner entered a guilty plea in 2022 to charges involving threats made against police officers, judges, and other individuals. His scheduled release date is set for 2036. In his candidate filing materials, he provided a mailing address in Box Elder, South Dakota, and a New York telephone number, both of which he shares with his mother, Carol Hafner. Neither individual has documented connections to Alaska.
His mother, Carol Hafner, previously ran unsuccessfully as a candidate and competed again this election cycle in the state’s U.S. Senate primary. Alaska’s election system permits the top four primary finishers to advance to the general election regardless of party designation. Following tabulation of 93% of ballots, Eric Hafner had received 5,757 votes, positioning him well behind third-place finisher Matt Schultz, a Democrat. However, Schultz withdrew from the general election and became ineligible to advance.
The leading contenders in the race are incumbent Republican Rep. Nick Begich and independent Bill Hill, a commercial fisherman and retired educator. Hafner’s advancement in the primary is anticipated to prompt additional legal action, as the U.S. Constitution mandates that candidates maintain residency in the state they seek to represent at the time of the election. The fourth-place finisher remained undetermined as of the reporting date.
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