Alaska Senator Murkowski Backs Democrat in Governor's Race

Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democratic candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for governor on Tuesday, a move that splits the party one week before Election Day. The endorsement places the senator behind a Democrat over three Republican opponents, including Bernadette Wilson, who holds the endorsement of President Donald Trump.

Murkowski, a frequent critic of the president within her own party, cited the need for bipartisan cooperation. In an interview with KTUU, an NBC affiliate in Anchorage, she argued that the three Republican candidates are too partisan for the state's ranked-choice voting system. "We need a governor who's going to work with the Legislature," she said. "That has got to happen for the delegation to be successful back in Washington, D.C."

Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state lawmaker, accepted the support in the same interview. He described Murkowski as a peer who works across the aisle and said he was grateful for her backing. The two have discussed the race as his campaign progressed, he noted, adding that she expressed confidence in their ticket's ability to solve problems for Alaska.

The race is contested by Kreiss-Tomkins, former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, former state Attorney General Treg Taylor, and Wilson. The NBC News Decision Desk rates the contest as leaning Democratic. Trump won Alaska in the presidential elections of 2016, 2020, and 2024, but the governor's race follows a different trajectory.

Wilson dismissed the endorsement in a written statement. She argued that Murkowski abandoned Alaska values long ago and labeled Kreiss-Tomkins "Just Keep Taxing" JKT. Wilson claimed the Democrat's allegiance lies with "extreme socialists" who fight the president to the detriment of everyday Alaskans.

Murkowski is not up for re-election until 2028. This year, she endorsed Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan in his competitive re-election bid against Mary Peltola and another candidate named Dan J. Sullivan Jr. The Trump administration sued Alaska election officials last week, arguing that the similar names on the ballot could mislead voters.

Murkowski criticized the lawsuit on X, stating that Alaskans do not need help voting and that the state has already distinguished the candidates clearly. The following day, Trump responded on social media, calling Murkowski the "Republicans' Worst Senator, by far."