Editor’s Note: this story was updated on 1/2/2026 to correct an inaccuracy. Although Joe Vogler was a political figure and murdered, the murderer was not found to be politically or ideologically motivated. The relevant sentence has been changed to say “murdered,” not “assassinated.”
Alaska’s third largest political party, the Alaskan Independence Party (AIP) dissolved on December 7, 2025, after 41 years of advocating its “Alaska First” agenda as an officially recognized party of the State of Alaska.
How Was AIP Started?
AIP began as Alaskans for Independence, a political movement established by the straight-shooting goldminer, Joe Vogler, who wished to see an independent Nation of Alaska. Vogler, known to many as “Old Joe,” vehemently advocated for the secession of Alaska from the United States of America. In 1984, Vogler renamed Alaskans for Independence as the Alaskan Independence Party and achieved State recognition as an official political party.
One of AIP’s most significant political achievements was the election of Walter J. Hickel, who won his 1990 governorship as an AIP candidate. Hickel’s governorship was wracked with political turmoil, drawing criticism from both sides of the aisle. Several attempts were made to remove Hickel from office under allegations of ethics violations and “mental unfitness.” However, the attempts proved unsuccessful and Hickel served a full term.
In 1993, Vogler was scheduled to present his case for Alaskan secession to the United Nations General Assembly. He was murdered before he could present his case.
What was AIP Like in the 2000s?
Secession remained a top priority for AIP into the 2000s. Former AIP Chairman Mark Chryson, who played a critical role in electing Sarah Palin as mayor of Wasilla, stated in an interview that the Southern states should have been allowed to secede from the Union. He argued: “The War of Northern Aggression, or the Civil War, or the War Between the States — however you want to refer to it — was not about slavery, it was about states’ rights.”
However, Chryson did reform the party’s platform by toning down the secessionist language and instead emphasizing the party’s desire for a state-wide vote that presents the options of statehood, commonwealth status, or independent nationhood. At some point, the party’s platform dropped all mention of this or a similar vote and all mention of secession.
What Were AIP’s Most Recent Priorities?
The most recent AIP platform identified constitutional fidelity as its first priority: “We pledge to exert our best efforts to accomplish the following: 1. To effect full compliance with the constitutions of the United States of America and The State of Alaska.” Other priorities listed in the platform are abolishment of property and income taxes, return of current federally-owned land to the state and people of Alaska, reduction of bureaucratic regulations, protection of the Permanent Fund Dividend, and staunch support for gun rights, traditional family values, pro-life policies, and Alaska-focused employment policies.
Why Did AIP Choose to Dissolve?
In 2024, the AIP Board of Directors found “current party membership is either apathetic to the goals of the party, believes that the party is a branch of the Republican party, or is registered to AIP by mistake.” Despite the board stating its continued belief in “Independence for every individual Alaskan,” the party officially dissolved on December 7, 2025.
AIP Secretary Robert Williams stated: “We informed the state Division of Elections about the decision on December 7th, but are now making a general press release so that people are informed as they make their plans for 2026.” Alaska now has three recognized political parties: the Alaska Republican Party, the Alaska Democrat Party, and the Alaska Libertarian Party. Eight other organized groups have filed applications with the Division of Elections for official recognition.
Was it ever resolved as an assassination? Who did it?
Hello! Thank you for commenting!
My apologies. “Assassinated” was an inaccuracy due to my misunderstanding. I have rectified the mistake.
Joe Vogler was murdered. In 1995, Manfried West was convicted by a jury of murdering Joe Vogler. He was sentenced to 80 years in prison.
A loser part-time burgler was blamed and convicted of a professional-looking hit job…
No, Natalie, Manfred West was never convicted of murdering Joe Vogler by a jury. He pled Guilty. A trial would have brought out the inconsistencies of the “approved narrative”. Vogler’s friends will tell you that the police refused to seal off his home as a crime scene for a week or 10 days. On their own, they had a veterinarian find that Vogler’s dogs had been drugged. AIP insiders suspect that West took the fall because he was going “up the river” for a long list of crimes, anyway, and the Deep State instructed him to plead guilty — “OR ELSE”. His prison life would otherwise be “Epsteined”. The documentary “Mining for Murder” was produced by the A&E network years ago, and fully explores this possibility. My, what a coincidence that he disappeared the very week before he was going to the U.N., sponsored by Iran, to bring Alaska’s case before the General Ass’y. I myself was shown the correspondence he was having with Iran in 1990. People can think for themselves. Us die-hard AIP folks will continue to call it as an assassination, and you can call it a murder. You might change your mind after you become better informed.
Bob Bird, but why go to the UN?
Your question is worthy. Call my radio show 907-283-5811, from 3-5 pm, Mon-Fri. http://www.radiokenai.com, click “KSRM”.
It would be a great conversation to have privately. Just to know this part of history. Thanks for the invitation though. If I get curious enough I might call in sometime.
I hope the AIP votes with the Republicans, especially to help in repealing ranked-choice voting. 🇺🇸
Assassinated?
Please do tell us more.
Never heard that before – UniParty?
Vogler was not right in the head and eventually had his screws tightened by yet another Fairbanks area lunatic.
Joe graduated law school in five years then never actually worked as an attorney and instead chose to be a miner with messy ideas of what progress actually looked like. His assertion that a road to Juneau should be built and the mountains between Juneau and anywhere else could be (or ought to be) ‘nuked out of the way’ were a harbinger of failure for any project that Joe supported.
He was an unusual man with unusual political aspirations. Early Alaska was filled with unusual characters and at the time spawned a general perspective that many Alaskans arrived here because they couldn’t fit in wherever they had been in the L48.
Joe was smart enough to run the numbers and show that we would be better off financially as an independent nation. He was smart enough to know the people must choose and that his ideas were only one possible alternative. The only charge of lunacy that might stick Scrumpy is his lack of understanding of foreign interests in Alaska and the likelihood of being invaded.
Clam Brain, Joe was a man of his time, that being the greatest generation. These guys won WWII, Built the interstate highways , put a man on the moon and more locally… built the Trans Alaska Pipeline.
Nuclear Charges were conceived as an inexpensive and rapid way of building Harbors, Shipping Lanes and yes, moving mountains. In fact the State of Alaska was eager to partner with the Fed’s in the 1960’s to accomplish such infrastructure. Did his idea have merit? You bet.
Interesting! Wow.
AIP voters, I warmly encourage you to resist the temptation to join either of the two wings of the establishment party. Neither care about your interests be it the PFD or Salmon stocks.
I encourage you to reach out to the AKLP. You will find friends here that actually care about this state’s Freedom and Liberty.
No lip service to this special interest or that because the AKLP firmly believes you can make better decision than Juneau or DC. You can spend your earnings on items for you not “learing” centers or wealthy CEOs from Boeing or Lockheed or Northrop.
We understand debt is bad.
Taxation is theft.
Be Brave, decline to vote for the Lesser of Two Evils.
Alaska, for being such a small state population wise, is one of the most politically corrupt states in the union. Both the Democrat and Republican parties share in this.