The case filed by Barrow Democratic Rep. Ben Nageak challenging his defeat in the August primary election will be decided later this week, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Andrew Guidi said Monday.
A week-long trial in Nageak's legal challenge finished Monday, with closing arguments from Nageak attorney Tim McKeever, state lawyer Margaret Paton-Walsh, and Tom Amodio, who's working for Dean Westlake of Kotzebue.
The state declared Westlake the primary winner by eight votes after a recount. Nageak appealed the results to the Alaska Supreme Court, and filed a separate case before Guidi in Superior Court challenging the way the state ran the election.
Guidi said he hopes to issue his decision as early as Wednesday, adding that his ruling won't come any later than Thursday.
Any appeal of Guidi's decision is expected to be combined with Nageak's Supreme Court case, which has not yet been argued.