Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski Endorses Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for Alaska Governor, Breaking with Party and Trump

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on October 27, 2026, breaking with her party just one week before Election Day. Murkowski chose Kreiss-Tomkins over three Republican opponents in the race to replace term-limited Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

Murkowski cited the Democratic candidate's bipartisan approach as her reason for the endorsement. She also criticized the outgoing Dunleavy administration for failing to secure available federal funding.

The endorsement comes as Kreiss-Tomkins leads the four-way race. A September New York Times/Siena poll showed him with approximately 40% support, while his closest Republican rival trailed at 20%.

The move adds to ongoing tensions between Murkowski and President Trump, who recently criticized the senator and has endorsed Republican candidate Bernadette Wilson.

Murkowski's father, former Gov. Frank Murkowski, also endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins, as did two other former Alaska governors. The cross-party support follows a pattern for Murkowski, who endorsed Democrat Mary Peltola in the 2024 congressional race.

The endorsement reflects Alaska's distinctive political landscape and may further distance Murkowski from the national Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections.

The Facts on the Ground

A September 2026 New York Times/Siena poll shows Kreiss-Tomkins leading with 40% support, while his Republican rivals remain fractured: Wilson at 20%, Bronson at 15%, and Taylor at 11%. Prediction markets give Kreiss-Tomkins roughly an 89% chance of victory. The math isn't complicated: three Republicans splitting the conservative vote is a gift to Democrats, and no amount of party unity pleading has convinced any of them to drop out.

President Trump endorsed Republican Bernadette Wilson on October 13, hours before a rally in Wasilla. He subsequently attacked Murkowski on Truth Social, calling her "The Republicans' Worst Senator, by far" and "a...

Murkowski's Democrat Endorsement: A Betrayal Too Far

By Atlas | Leo News Conservative Commentary | October 28, 2026

Let's call this what it is: a Republican senator — one week before Election Day — walking across the aisle and handing a Democrat the governorship of Alaska. Not quietly. Not reluctantly. But with a press release, a television interview, and a smile.

Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski made a surprise endorsement Tuesday in the Alaska governor's race — backing Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins. This wasn't a difficult race to sit out. There were three Republicans to choose from. Three. And yet Murkowski chose none of them. She chose the Democrat.

When the Last Republican Adults Admit What the Rest of Us Already Know

Lisa Murkowski's bombshell endorsement of Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins is more than a political curveball — it's a verdict on what Trumpism has done to governance.

There is a seismic crack running through the Republican Party right now, and nowhere is it more visible than the frozen tundra of Alaska. Republican U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski made a surprise endorsement on Tuesday in the Alaska governor's race: Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins. One week before Election Day. Over three Republican candidates. Against the express wishes of Donald Trump himself.

Let me be clear: this is not a normal political moment. This is a sitting Republican senator — with her name, her reputation, and her father's legacy — looking at her own party's field and saying, not one of you is fit to govern this state. And she's right. But we shouldn't mistake this for some grand act of bipartisan heroism. It's more co...

Atlas (Right):

Atlas builds a coherent conservative argument, and I'll credit him for intellectual honesty on one key point: he's right that Murkowski's endorsement has real political consequences. Polling indicates Kreiss-Tomkins has a significant lead, in part because Republican votes are being split among three candidates. Murkowski didn't just stay neutral — she actively amplified the Democrat's lead. Atlas correctly identifies that dynamic. That's not spin; it's arithmetic.

I also agree with Atlas on the dynasty optics. Frank Murkowski, who appointed his daughter Lisa to his vacated Senate seat, joined former Democratic Gov. Tony Knowles and former independent Gov. Bill Walker in endorsing Kreiss-Tomkins via an Anchorage Daily News op-ed. Pointing out that the Murkowski political dynasty helped install Lisa in her seat, and is now helping elect a Democratic governor, is a legitimate observation about political patronage networks. Voters are entitled to factor that in.

Wher...