Alaska Democratic party leaders have approved allowing candidates not affiliated with a political party to run in the Democratic primary.
Unaffiliated candidates currently can run for office by petition and gathering signatures. In a release, state party chair Casey Steinau says Democrats want their party to be as inclusive as possible.
Party spokesman Jake Hamburg says the Division of Elections will be asked to approve this for this year’s elections. He says this would be a pilot program because party bylaws must be approved every two years and this is year two of a two-year cycle.
Rep. Dan Ortiz is Alaska’s only unaffiliated state legislator. He caucuses with Democrats. Gov. Bill Walker changed his affiliation from Republican to undeclared in running with Democratic Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott in 2014.
