Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski has backed a Democratic candidate for governor of Alaska. Her decision has renewed debate about her future in the Senate. However, political observers say the move does not prove that she plans to retire before the 2028 election.
Murkowski endorsed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on Tuesday. She said he would serve all Alaskans, no matter which party they support. Her choice breaks with her party as Alaska prepares for a four-way ranked-choice election next week.
President Donald Trump has endorsed Republican candidate Bernadette Wilson. She is seeking to replace outgoing Governor Mike Dunleavy, also a Republican. Three of the four candidates in the race belong to the Republican Party.
Murkowski’s support for a Democrat has led to questions about her own plans. Some believe she may be considering retirement rather than seeking another Senate term in 2028. Others think she may be trying to appeal to voters across party lines before her next campaign.
Yet people who follow Alaska politics say the endorsement fits Murkowski’s long record of independence. She has often made choices that differ from those of other Republicans. Her latest move, they say, should not be treated as a clear sign of what she will do next.
Art Hackney, a Republican political operative in Alaska, said Murkowski’s decision was no surprise. He explained that she does not always make choices based on party ties. He believes she reviewed all four candidates and decided Kreiss-Tomkins was the best option.
Larry Persily, a longtime political aide and journalist in Alaska, also said the endorsement was not a clear signal about 2028. Instead, he linked it to her frustration with Dunleavy’s administration.
Persily said Murkowski did not want to see a repeat of the current administration. He added that her choice showed she knows her voice still matters in Alaska.
Murkowski has not announced whether she will run for reelection. She has made few public comments about her plans. Her representatives did not respond to questions on Wednesday about the endorsement or her future in the Senate.
This is not the first time she has supported a Democrat. Murkowski is backing Republican Senator Dan Sullivan in his current Senate race. However, she previously supported his Democratic rival, Mary Peltola, when Peltola ran for Alaska’s only seat in the House of Representatives.
Murkowski’s father, Frank Murkowski, a former senator and governor, has also endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins.
Her independent approach has also appeared in a dispute over the 2026 Senate election. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit last week seeking to block the certification of election results. The case concerns claims that Democrats arranged for a second candidate named Dan Sullivan to appear on the ballot and confuse voters.
Murkowski pushed back against the effort. She said Alaska voters did not need help choosing their preferred candidates.
After a report published on Wednesday described evidence that Peltola’s campaign and national Democratic operatives knew about the alleged plan, Murkowski called for the truth to come out. She said Peltola and her team needed to explain what happened. She also condemned what she called a pattern of lies, coverups and deception.
Trump has renewed his attacks on Murkowski. In a post on Truth Social over the weekend, he called her the worst senator. The latest clash followed her criticism of the Justice Department’s lawsuit.
The two also disagree over Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system. The system lets voters rank candidates in order of preference. Trump has called it corrupt and criticized the number of Republican candidates in the governor’s race.
Alaska is one of only two states that use ranked-choice voting statewide. A ballot measure this year asks voters whether they want to repeal it. Some observers credit the system with helping Murkowski defeat a challenger backed by Trump in 2022.
Although Murkowski usually votes with Republicans, she has broken with the Trump administration on key issues. She has also opposed some of Trump’s Cabinet nominees, including Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general earlier this year.
Some Senate Republicans have privately questioned whether she will seek another term. They also wonder whether Trump will back a Republican challenger if she runs again.
Murkowski has overcome major political challenges before. In 2010, she lost the Republican primary but won the general election through a write-in campaign. In 2022, she defeated a Trump-backed challenger.
Dunleavy’s future is also a subject of debate. Some have suggested he could run for the Senate in 2028. However, low approval ratings and strained ties with other Alaska Republicans may affect his plans.
Murkowski recently criticized his administration, saying it had left federal money on the table. Dunleavy’s representatives did not respond to a request for comment. Some Republican operatives believe he may prefer a Cabinet role to a Senate campaign. Trump has praised Dunleavy in the past, calling him a great governor and a friend.
For now, Murkowski’s endorsement does not settle questions about her future. Her decision on another Senate run remains open as political tensions grow in Alaska.
