JUNEAU — The Alaska Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that independent candidates can compete in partisan primary elections, opening a door for Gov. Bill Walker to seek Democratic support in his re-election campaign — if he wants it.

In a three-sentence order issued around noon, the Supreme Court upheld a lower-court decision issued in October.

That decision, by Juneau Superior Court Judge Philip Pallenberg, struck down a state elections law as unconstitutional. The law required primary election candidates to belong to the party whose nomination they're seeking, but Pallenberg said the rule violated freedom of association rights under the First Amendment.

The Alaska Democratic Party sued to overturn the law last year, and the state subsequently appealed Pallenberg's decision. The Democrats want independent candidates to be able to seek the party's support in the primary.