Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth today appealed to the Alaska Supreme Court in the case of Alaska Democratic Party v. State of Alaska, which challenged a state statute requiring candidates who run in a political party’s primary to be actually registered as voters in that party.
The Alaska Democratic Party filed a suit against the State to be allowed to run unaffiliated candidates in its 2018 primary.
In October, Juneau Superior Court Judge Philip Pallenberg ruled the statute unconstitutional as it violates the Alaska Democratic Party’s First Amendment “freedom of association” with candidates who are not actual Democrats.
Lindemuth today said the matter is important enough to take to the Alaska Supreme Court for further review.
“We don’t agree with the superior court that the party membership requirement in state statute places an unconstitutional burden on political parties,” she said in a statement.
This story will be updated.
