Eric Hafner is shining light on some shocking loopholes in election laws. The 33-year-old inmate, who’s currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in New York’s FCI Otisville, is running to represent Alaska in Congress, a state that he’s never stepped foot in.
Per the New York Times, Hafner, a Democrat, was able to enter the race for Alaska’s sole congressional seat by mailing in a ballot from prison. The law allows candidates to run in states in which they don’t reside. They must, however, move to the area should they win, per the outlet.
Hafner, who’s serving time for threatening public officials and calling in false bomb threats, is using his prison mugshot as his official photo for the race.
“I’m a progressive. I’ll work with Bernie Sanders and AOC to implement a better America for working-class Americans,” Hafner told a local news outlet of his platform. “I support Medicare For All. I support free college. I support student loan debt relief.”
Hafner may also have less than altruistic reasons for running. The candidate believes that, should he win the election, he might be released from prison before his sentence expires on October 12, 2026.
“Ultimately, if I’m elected, I expect to be released immediately at that point,” he told NPR. “There’s a federal statute under compassionate release that says you could be released for extraordinarily compelling reasons. And, by golly, if I’m going to D.C. to represent the people of Alaska, I think that’s a very extraordinary and compelling reason.”
The Possible Political Ramifications of Eric Hafner’s Bid
Hafner was initially a nonentity in the race. That all changed after the primary election, though.
Alaskan law moves the top four primary finishers into the general election. While Hafner finished in sixth place in the primary, the candidates who came in fourth and fifth dropped out. That automatically put Hafner on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Most agree that Hafner is unlikely to win a seat in Congress. He could, however, lead to problems for his own party. The main contenders in the race are Mary Peltola, the incumbent Democrat, and Nick Begich, her Republican challenger.
Democrats are aiming to gain control of the House, something that can likely only be achieved if Peltola keeps her seat. The issue comes into play if Hafner detracts votes from Peltola.
With that in mind, Democrats tried to have Hafner taken off the ballot, NPR reported. They were unsuccessful in their efforts, as the Alaska Supreme Court ruled in Hafner’s favor, per the outlet.
“The chances of Eric Hafner having an impact on this election are legitimate and real,” Republican strategist Matt Shuckerow told the Times. “This is an extremely tight race and every vote will count.”
The post Candidate for Alaska House Seat Has Never Been to the State — And Is Currently in Prison appeared first on VICE.
The post Candidate for Alaska House Seat Has Never Been to the State — And Is Currently in Prison appeared first on VICE.
