A Fairbanks woman is part of a team trying to get a new party on the Alaska ballot. Maria Rensel is running as an Alaska Constitution Party candidate for lieutenant governor. Resnel says the campaign is all about breaking up the lock Republicans and Democrats have on Alaska politics.
Rensel is trying get on the ballot along with gubernatorial candidate J.R. Meyers of Haines. They both have to gather the signatures of 3,017 registered voters — that’s 1 percent of Alaska voters. If successful, and they garner at least 3 percent of the vote in the November general election, the Alaska Constitution Party would join the Democratic, Republican, Libertarian and Alaskan Independence as official political parties, which can field candidates without having to gather signatures. Rensel, who hosts a Facebook page dedicated to freeing convicted Fairbanks Militia leader Schaefer Cox, says the Alaska Constitution Party is affiliated with the National Constitution Party, and predicated on the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution.
Rensel’s running mate, J.R. Meyers says the campaign is about getting the Alaska Constitution  party on the ballot, noting it shares ideology, like the right to life, with the Republican Party.
Meyers cites continued government growth under Republican administrations that’s led to deficit spending. He says Alaska can no longer afford to subsidize all areas of the economy. He also advocates for changing the Alaska Constitution to bring it more in line with the U.S. Constitution and return mineral rights to land owners.Â
The Alaska Constitution Party is hosting an informational meeting Tuesday night in Fairbanks.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
