Alaska News Story Suggests Libertarian U.S. Senate Primary Outcome Caused by Voter Confusion

Ballot Access News:

As previously reported, the Alaska Libertarian primary on August 19 included a 3-way race for the U.S. Senate nomination. Thom Walker won, even though he didn’t campaign and is not known to Libertarian Party activists. This story suggests that Walker won the primary because some voters confused him with Bill Walker, an independent candidate for Governor whose name was not on any party’s primary ballot, but who is well-known.

From the KTOO link (excerpt):

Bill Walker was the first candidate to make an appearance at Anchorage’s Election Central on Tuesday night. He strolled in with an entourage ready to cheer his bid as an independent gubernatorial challenger. And when the votes were tallied, the Walker name did come out on top – only, it was for the Libertarian nomination for the U.S. Senate race. The victory of an unknown by the name of Thom Walker has puzzled the Libertarian party.

The Libertarian Senate primary was supposed to be a race between two former party chairs: conservative Mark Fish and the more liberal-leaning Scott Kohlhaas. And then there was candidate Thom Walker.

Walker had been a registered Republican until this spring. He hasn’t campaigned or raised any money. He hasn’t even joined the Alaska Libertarian Party Facebook page. So, when Walker got 2,600 votes – more than Fish and Kohlhaas combined – it was not expected.

“When I walked into the convention center and saw that, I thought, ‘Wow, this is just crazy,” says Michael Chambers, the chair of the Alaska Libertarian Party.

Chambers was pretty confused, until he realized that Thom Walker shared a last name with another candidate for statewide office – that is, Bill Walker, an independent candidate for governor who has spent more than $100,000 on signs, internet advertising, and traditional media buys.