A group of voters has filed a lawsuit challenging the candidacy of pansexual Jennie Armstrong. The challenge is over the three-year residency requirement, which Armstrong, a Democrat, has not appeared to have met. She would have had to be a resident of Alaska and the district since June 1, 2019, but on her fishing license application in June of 2019, she gave an out-of-state address in Louisiana.
Earlier this fall, stories about the District 16 candidate’s lack of legality as a candidate emerged in social media, but the official position of the Division of Elections is that any challenge to the division would have had to take place within 10 days of her filing her application to become a candidate. No such challenge was filed by either the Alaska Republican Party or Liz Vazquez, who is also running for the seat.
On June 13, 2019, Armstrong wrote that she had moved to Alaska the previous week. That would date her residency to June 7, 2019, about a week too late to be a candidate in this election cycle. She now lists her address at the same place as the Democrat campaign company, Ship Creek Group, 721 Depot Drive Anchorage, AK 99501.
Armstrong has been endorsed by the Alaska Democratic Party. In its newsletter, it says that Vazquez is too much of a Trump supporter.
In her election material, Armstrong describes herself as a Democrat, business owner, and mom. Although she describes herself as pansexual, meaning she can be attracted to anything sexually, she says if elected she will “make history as the first openly LGBTQ+ candidate to be elected to the Alaska State Legislature.” Armstrong hasn’t been around long enough to remember the late Sen. Johnny Ellis, evidently, who was well-known as gay, and publicly came out as gay in 2016, retiring from office that year. He died in 2022.
Residents Chris Duke, Randy Eledge, and Steve Strait are complainants in the matter. They are Republican activists in the West Anchorage district.
Even if a judge rules her eligible, the Alaska Legislature has the power to not seat her if she wins.
This story is developing. Check back.
