Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski has endorsed Democratic candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins in Alaska’s governor race. Her decision has raised fresh questions about her political future, but people familiar with state politics say it does not point to a clear plan for retirement.
Murkowski announced her support on Tuesday. She said Kreiss-Tomkins would serve all Alaskans, regardless of their political party. Her choice puts her at odds with several Republicans as voters prepare to choose the state’s next governor.
The election features four candidates, including three Republicans. President Donald Trump has backed Republican candidate Bernadette Wilson. She is running to replace outgoing Governor Mike Dunleavy, who is also a Republican.
Murkowski’s endorsement could have several meanings. Some may view it as a sign that she is preparing to leave the Senate rather than seek another term in 2028. Others may see it as a way to build support among voters from both parties before her own race.
However, Alaska political figures say her decision is more likely to reflect her long record of independence. Murkowski has often shown a willingness to break with her party when she believes another choice is better.
Art Hackney, a Republican political operative in Alaska, said the endorsement was not surprising. He noted that Murkowski does not always base her decisions on party loyalty. In his view, she looked at the four candidates and chose the one she believed was best for the state.
Larry Persily, a longtime Alaska political aide and journalist, also said the move should not be treated as a sign of what Murkowski plans to do in 2028. He linked her decision to frustration with the Dunleavy administration.
Persily said Murkowski did not want to see a similar administration continue. He added that the endorsement showed how much her voice still matters in Alaska politics.
Murkowski has not announced whether she will run for another Senate term. She has also said little in public about her plans. Her representatives did not respond to questions on Wednesday about the endorsement or her future.
The senator has supported Democrats before. She is backing Republican Senator Dan Sullivan in his current Senate race, but she previously endorsed his Democratic rival, Mary Peltola, in the race for Alaska’s only seat in the House of Representatives.
Her father, Frank Murkowski, a former senator and governor of Alaska, has also backed Kreiss-Tomkins.
Murkowski’s independent approach was clear again this week during a dispute over the 2026 Senate election. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to stop 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 criticized the effort to block certification. She said Alaskans did not need help choosing the candidates they wanted to support.
After a report published on Wednesday described evidence that Peltola’s campaign and national Democratic operatives knew about the alleged plan, Murkowski called for a full account of what happened. She said Peltola and her team needed to share the honest truth. She also condemned what she described as a pattern of lies, coverups and deception.
Trump has responded to Murkowski’s criticism with renewed attacks. In a post on Truth Social over the weekend, he called her the worst senator. Their disagreements have continued over several major political issues.
One key dispute concerns Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system. The system lets voters rank candidates in order of preference instead of relying on a traditional party primary. Trump has attacked it as corrupt and pointed to the three Republicans running in the governor’s race.
Alaska is one of only two states that use ranked-choice voting statewide. Voters will decide this year whether to repeal the system. Some supporters say it gives voters more choice. Others credit it with helping Murkowski defeat a challenger backed by the right in 2022.
Although Murkowski usually votes with Republicans, she has opposed the Trump administration on several issues. She has also voted against some of Trump’s Cabinet choices, including Todd Blanche’s nomination for attorney general earlier this year.
Some Senate Republicans have privately questioned whether Murkowski will seek reelection. They also wonder whether Trump will support another Republican to challenge her if she runs again.
Murkowski has survived major political battles before. In 2010, she lost the Republican primary but won the general election through a write-in campaign. In 2022, she defeated a challenger backed by Trump.
Dunleavy’s political future is also under discussion. He has been mentioned as a possible Senate candidate in 2028, but low approval ratings and strained ties with other Alaska Republicans could affect his plans.
Murkowski recently criticized his administration, saying she had found fault with its work and that federal money had been left unused. Dunleavy’s representatives did not respond to a request for comment.
Some Republican operatives believe Dunleavy may be more interested in a Cabinet position than a Senate seat. Trump has praised him in the past, calling him a great governor and a friend at a White House event on September 30.
For now, Murkowski’s endorsement offers no firm answer about her own plans. Her decision on reelection remains open as Alaska’s political battles continue.
