Alaskan Independence Party
The Alaskan Independence Party (AIP) is an Alaskan nationalist political party in the United States that advocates for an in-state referendum which would include the option of Alaska becoming an independent country. The party also advocates positions similar to those of the Constitution Party, Republican Party and Libertarian Party, supporting gun rights, anti-abortion policies, privatization, homeschooling, and limited government.[3]
Alaskan Independence Party
John Wayne Howe
June 14, 1984[1]
18,882[2]
Alaskan nationalism
Libertarian conservatism
Wally Hickel was elected as the Governor of Alaska in 1990 under the Independence Party, making it one of the few third parties to have controlled a governor's seat; however, Hickel transferred to the Republican Party before the 1994 election.
History[edit]
Founding and early history[edit]
In early 1973, Vogler founded Alaskans for Independence (AFI), originally to label a petition drive.[4] Vogler wrote to local Alaskan newspapers and argued against the Alaskan statehood vote. In 1973, Vogler began circulating a petition seeking support for secession of Alaska from the United States. The Alaska magazine published a piece at that time in which Vogler claimed to have gathered 25,000 signatures in three weeks.
In 1978, Vogler merged the AFI into the Alaskan Independence Party (AIP), a political party.[4]
During the first decade of its existence, the Party was used exclusively by Vogler for his first two campaigns for governor and campaign for lieutenant governor. Vogler would serve as the AIP's standard-bearer for most of the party's first two decades.[5] The party has maintained its recognized status since, first by maintaining thresholds in gubernatorial elections, then through same with voter registration.[1]
Vogler, who founded the AIP described himself as a "separatist", but the AIP's platform does not explicitly call for secession. Referring to Alaska's 1959 admission to the union, the AIP's charter states that "The Alaskan Independence Party's goal is the vote we were entitled to in 1958, one choice from among the following four choices:
Registered members[edit]
In May 2009 the party had 13,119 registered members. As of May 2021, a press release on the AIP website indicates that the number of
registered members has grown to nearly 19,000, making it the state's third largest party and about a quarter the size of the state's Democratic party (Republicans had 124,892 members and the Democrats had 75,047).[11]
On September 2, 2008, the Alaska Division of Elections had records that Todd Palin, husband of Governor Sarah Palin (a Republican and vice-presidential candidate), had registered in 1995 as a member of the Alaskan Independence Party. He remained registered with the party until 2002.[12] David Niewert and Max Blumenthal wrote in Salon about the third party's influence in gaining election of Sarah Palin as mayor of Wasilla in her first political office.[13]
Notable past party officials include: