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From left, independent Bill Hill, Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Nick Begich and Democrat Eric Hafner, who is incarcerated in New York state, are three of the candidates running for Alaska’s sole U.S. House seat in the Aug. 18, 2026, primary election. (Photos by ADN, AP and provided by the candidate) <\/p>\n
A mysterious text message was sent to some Alaska voters Friday promoting an incarcerated felon in Alaska\u2019s U.S. House race ahead of the Tuesday primary. <\/p>\n
In a race that pits Republican incumbent Rep. Nick Begich against well-funded independent challenger Bill Hill, a shadowy group is boosting Democrat Eric Hafner<\/a>, a federal inmate and perennial candidate who is again running for Alaska\u2019s lone U.S. House seat while serving a 20-year prison sentence in New York. <\/p>\n The text message landed with none of the typical attributions and disclosures that accompany political messages, leaving no clues on its sponsor, along with questions about its legality. <\/p>\n Alaska\u2019s Tuesday primary ballot includes 15 candidates for the state\u2019s lone U.S. House seat. Under Alaska\u2019s election laws, the top four vote-getters in the primary will advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. That leaves an opening: With Hill and Begich likely to advance, who will join them on the general election ballot?<\/p>\n Democrat Matt Schultz, an Anchorage pastor who ran with support from Alaska Democratic Party leaders, dropped out of the race<\/a> last month and endorsed Hill. But he did so too late to remove his name from the ballot.<\/p>\n Hill backers are hoping that the ballot is free of progressive candidates who could draw support away from the independent former public educator, who has refused to say whether he will caucus with Democrats or Republicans if elected.<\/p>\n Begich supporters, meanwhile, hope to see a ballot free of any other Republicans.<\/p>\n Hafner already ran for Alaska\u2019s U.S. House seat in 2024, when the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that he was entitled to appear on the state\u2019s ballot, despite the slim likelihood that he would be able to move to Alaska if elected, as required by the U.S. Constitution. <\/p>\n Hafner advanced to the 2024 general election ballot with less than 500 votes<\/a> in that year\u2019s 12-way primary. <\/p>\n In 2024, the National Republican Congressional Committee sought to boost<\/a> Hafner, in a strategy intended to strengthen Begich. A spokesperson for the NRCC did not respond when asked whether the committee was behind this year\u2019s effort to elevate Hafner.<\/p>\n A similar strategy is being used to boost candidates that could weaken Begich. A political action committee call Cornerstone Founders PAC, which has yet to disclose its backers, reported<\/a> this week spending $463,000 on targeted ads promoting Clay Strickland, a Republican, and Clay McDermott, a Libertarian.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/H3UU7GJHLZFW3CYR5CTXLO5NXU.jpeg\")
A text message sent to some Alaska voters on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, promoted Eric Hafner, a Democratic candidate for U.S. House who is currently serving a prison sentence in New York. (Screenshot of text message) <\/p>\n