Alaska Republican Party votes to support Murkowski opponent

ANCHORAGE (AP) - The leaders of Alaska’s Republican Party on Saturday endorsed a Trump-backed conservative challenger to incumbent U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who has been one of the GOP’s most outspoken critics of the former president.

The Alaska Republican State Central Committee endorsed Kelly Tshibaka in the 2022 race for the U.S. Senate seat held by Murkowski. The committee approved Tshibaka’s endorsement in a 58-17 vote during a meeting in Fairbanks.

Tshibaka, who ran the Alaska Department of Administration for Gov. Mike Dunleavy, announced March 29 that she would run for the Senate seat held by Murkowski, who has been in office since late 2002.

In a statement after winning her party’s endorsement, Tshibaka said she will uphold conservative ideals.

On March 13, the Republican State Central Committee voted 53-17 to censure Murkowski, citing her vote to impeach Trump and other votes that have broken with GOP leadership. Alaska Republican Party leaders said at the time that they would recruit someone to run against her.

“Lisa Murkowski is bad for Alaska,” Trump said in a statement last month. “Murkowski has got to go!”

In a statement to the Anchorage Daily News, Murkowski said: “Alaskan voters will decide who represents them in D.C., and I work every day to earn their support.”

 

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