It Ain't Over in Alaska
Former Alaskan Independence Party chair blasts state’s claim that party is ‘dissolved’
Former Alaskan Independence Party chair blasts state’s claim that party is ‘dissolved’
(The Alaska Watchman) - A revealing exchange between Alaska Attorney General Stephen Cox and former Alaskan Independence Party (AIP) Chairman Bob Bird, sheds light on the abrupt and controversial dissolution of the state’s third largest political party.
Back on Dec. 31, 2025, the AIP publicly announced that its governing board had voted to disband the 19,000-member party, which formed in the early 1980s. Citing apathetic membership and ongoing confusion about its mission, the AIP board claimed the party was “spiritually dead.”
The decision came as a shock to many long-time members, including Bird, who questioned the clandestine way in which the party was dissolved and whether it was even legal.
Over the past several years the AIP endured an internal struggle over its direction and leadership. In 2024, a small group of AIP members voted to replace then-Chairman Bird with longtime member Bob Wayne Howe, claiming it was time to expand membership and endorse candidates who were firmly committed to the party’s core goals.
Bird had led the party since 2020, orchestrating renewed interest across the state. When he was replaced, party leaders claimed the change was motivated, in part, by a desire to focus on…