Murkowski Crosses Party Lines to Back Democrat for Alaska Governor

Murkowski Crosses Party Lines to Back Democrat for Alaska Governor

A Republican Heavyweight Picks the Lone Democrat, a Week Out

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for Alaska governor on Tuesday, Oct. 27, one week before Election Day. Kreiss-Tomkins, a former Sitka state lawmaker widely known as JKT, is the only Democrat in a four-way ranked-choice general election. His opponents are three Republicans: Bernadette Wilson, Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor. The seat is open because incumbent Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy is term-limited and cannot seek re-election.

Bipartisanship Pitch: Future Too Important for Partisan Divisions

"Our future is too important to be hamstrung by partisan divisions," Murkowski said in a statement. "Jonathan understands that governing requires listening to people with different perspectives and finding common ground to solve the problems all of us face." She said Alaska needs a serious conversation about its fiscal future, plus attention to energy costs and economic growth. She urged "Alaskans of every political stripe" to consider him. In comments to KTUU, she questioned whether Wilson would ever work with Democrats.

Father Joins Two Ex-Governors in Parallel Endorsement

The same day, Murkowski's father, former Republican Sen. Frank Murkowski, joined former Democratic Gov. Tony Knowles and former independent Gov. Bill Walker in an Anchorage Daily News op-ed backing Kreiss-Tomkins. The three wrote that they come from different political backgrounds and have not always agreed, but share this choice. Frank Murkowski once appointed his daughter Lisa to his vacated Senate seat after he was elected governor in 2002. Lisa Murkowski's own announcement came by email to reporters on Tuesday afternoon.

Polls and Cash Point Toward the Democrat

Polling has consistently put Kreiss-Tomkins first. A New York Times/Siena College poll conducted Sept. 24 to Oct. 1 found him at 46% among likely voters, followed by Wilson at 24%, Bronson at 17% and Taylor at 13%. A Data for Progress survey published Oct. 20 had him at 46% in first choices, against 28% for Wilson, 12% for Bronson and 9% for Taylor, winning 53% to 47% after ranked-choice tabulation. He finished first in the Aug. 18 top-four primary with 22.5%, while Democrat Tom Begich, who won 20.8%, withdrew and endorsed him. As of Oct. 2, Kreiss-Tomkins had more than $1.1 million in cash on hand, compared with less than $350,000 combined for the three Republicans. Forward Frontier, funded in part by the Democratic Governors Association, has spent $4.4 million backing him, including $2.9 million in October alone, while Kodiak PAC, funded by the Republican Governors Association, has spent $1.7 million.

Trump-Backed Rival Fires Back as GOP Split Widens

Wilson, whom President Donald Trump endorsed at an Oct. 13 rally in Wasilla, dismissed the endorsement. "Given that Senator Lisa Murkowski abandoned Alaska values a long time ago, I am not surprised that she has endorsed 'Just Keep Taxing' JKT," she said, arguing his allegiance lies with socialists fighting Trump. Taylor said he was disappointed, while Bronson said he respected Murkowski's choice. The split is not new: Murkowski was one of seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump in his 2021 impeachment trial, and in 2024 she backed Democrat Mary Peltola's House re-election bid. NBC News rates the governor's race as leaning Democratic, in a state Trump carried in 2016, 2020 and 2024.

Ranked Choice Will Decide a Fractured Four-Way Race

Under Alaska's ranked-choice system, if no one tops 50%, the lowest finishers are eliminated and their ballots reallocated. Analysts say the three-way Republican split explains much of Kreiss-Tomkins' edge, with a combined 41% for Republicans against his 40% in one bipartisan AARP survey. Dunleavy declined to pick one Republican but urged GOP voters to rank all three. With about one in five Republicans still undecided, the final week will test whether Wilson can consolidate the right and whether Kreiss-Tomkins can hold centrist and cross-party voters.