Alaskan Independence Party Won't Ask for U.S. Supreme Court Review in Primary Exclusion Case

The Alaskan Independence Party has decided not to ask for U.S. Supreme Court review in the case over whether the party can prevent a particular voter from running in its primary for public office. The case is called Alaskan Independence Party v State of Alaska, and the 9th circuit had denied the party’s request on October 22, 2008. The case had been filed to prevent Daniel DeNardo from running in its primaries, since he is very hostile to the party and had been suing it for slander.

The party may file a new case in Alaska State Court. The Alaska Constitution gives more Freedom of Association rights to political parties than the U.S. Constitution does. For example, the Alaskan Supreme Court a few years ago ruled that if several qualified political parties want to use a blanket primary ballot in cooperation with each other, the State Constitution protects their ability to do that, even though it contradicted state law. That is why Alaska is the only state that uses a blanket primary. Parties that have participated in the blanket primary have been the Democratic, Alaskan Independence, Libertarian and Green Parties. The Republican Party never wanted to be part of the blanket primary ballot, so it has its own primary ballot.


Comments

Alaskan Independence Party Won't Ask for U.S. Supreme Court Review in Primary Exclusion Case — 3 Comments

  1. I have known Dan Denardo for over 33 years. He is a good man. His concern has always been to protect
    the sovereignty of Alaska.

    He is not “hostile to the party”, the current leadership of the “party” is the problem. The only good news is that Dan Denardo can run in the
    future.

    Sincerely, Mark Seidenberg, Vice Chairman, American Independent Party

  2. As a current leader of the party I tried to reach out to Mr. DeNardo to no avail. He did not respond to any attempts at contact. Even so, I supported his right as a registered AIP member to run for office, and opposed the spending of valuable AIP resources on this legal battle. However, what is done is done. It is final, any AIP member has the right to run for any office with or without leadership approval. I, for one, am satisfied with this outcome. Mark, it is the height of folly to lump everyone together and to ascribe common motives to all in leadership positions. We are a little more sophisticated than that.

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