Alaska Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott resigned Tuesday over what Gov. Bill Walker called "inappropriate comments."
The resignation complicates what was already a difficult re-election fight for Walker, a man with whom Mallott shared a brother-like bond.
Walker, in a release, said he learned late Monday that Mallott had made "inappropriate comments" not suitable for his office.
"As leaders, we must hold ourselves to the highest standards of conduct," he said.