What will happen now to the $630,798 in Don Young's campaign account?

The next few months will be chaotic and confusing in Alaska as those who aspire to replace the late Rep. Don Young in Washington, D.C. try to raise money and generate publicity for themselves with little time for either activity.

They will have weeks to accomplish tasks that require many months or years.

The immediate goal is to be one of the top four vote-getters in the mail-in special primary. Candidates or possible candidates with name recognition and access to immediate cash will have an edge.

The filing deadline to enter the special election primary race to fill the U.S. House seat for the rest of this year is April 1.

Ballots have to be mailed out by the state no later than May 20. Mail-in ballots have to be postmarked no later than June 11.

This primary election, the first of four elections dealing with the U.S. House seat, is to select the four candidates who will make it to the special general election Aug. 16.

The special general election is to select the person who will fill the remainder of this Congressional term.

On that same day, the regular primary election is to take place. In that primary, the top four candidates will be selected to move on to the November ballot for the regular general election.

This is going to baffle hundreds of thousands of Alaskans, but the only way to limit the level of confusion is to publicize the details early and often.

Since the candidates have little time to raise money, the existing campaign account of the late representative will be much in the news.

Young’s campaign reported having $630,798 on hand at the end of 2021.

The rules on what happens after the death of a political candidate are not clear.

In 2018, the Tampa Bay Times and WTSP reported that the rules are vague about candidates who retire, but “they say even less about what should happen to campaign funds when the candidate dies.”

The newspaper reported on “zombie” campaign committees, including one that paid a campaign treasurer long after the death of the incumbent Hawaii congressman who the account was for.

The treasurer of Young’s campaign, former Young employee Curtis Thayer, may have the final say in what happens with the Young campaign money. Thayer is a longtime government employee who was appointed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy to head the Alaska Energy Authority.

According to the Congressional Research Service, “special considerations concerning spending authority can arise when candidates die,” but campaign treasurers have the authority and responsibility under federal law.

The research service said, “a treasurer’s authority could at least theoretically override candidate preferences even if the candidate were living.”

The law does not allow the money to be used for personal expenses, but it can be used for political purposes. Donations to individual candidates are limited to $2,000, however.

There is no limit on transfers to party committees, either at the state or national level. It is likely that some transfers will take place before the special election primary and that GOP candidates are already trying to get access to the Don Young campaign account either directly or indirectly.