Murkowski Backs Democrat Kreiss-Tomkins in Alaska Governor's Race Over Trump Pick

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, endorsed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for governor of Alaska on Tuesday, one week before Election Day. The move bypasses the three Republicans on the ballot, including Bernadette Wilson, who has President Donald Trump's endorsement, NBC News reported.

Murkowski is one of Trump's more vocal critics among Senate Republicans. Her endorsement adds a notable name to a race that NBC News' Decision Desk rates as leaning Democratic.

What Murkowski said about her choice

In an interview with NBC affiliate KTUU in Anchorage, Murkowski described Kreiss-Tomkins, who goes by JKT, as a young Alaskan who offers the freshness of energy and the commonsense approach that the state needs right now. She also said he has a known ability to work with others.

She told KTUU she considers the three Republican candidates too partisan. According to NBC News, she raised concerns that Wilson would not work with Democrats at any point. Murkowski argued that Alaska needs a governor who cooperates with the Legislature, which she said is essential for the state's congressional delegation to succeed in Washington.

How the candidates responded

Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state lawmaker, told KTUU he was grateful for the support. He said he respects Murkowski's integrity and her record of working across the aisle in Congress, and he said the two had held a few conversations as his campaign moved along. In his telling, she reached a point where she felt confident in his ticket and its ability to solve problems for Alaska.

Wilson dismissed the endorsement in a statement. She said she was not surprised, because in her view Murkowski abandoned Alaska values long ago. She also argued that Kreiss-Tomkins is allied with extreme socialists who are determined to fight Trump at the expense of everyday Alaskans.

Who is on the ballot for governor

The race is to succeed Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who is term-limited. Besides Kreiss-Tomkins and Wilson, the field includes former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and former state Attorney General Treg Taylor, both Republicans. Trump endorsed Wilson this month. Alaska uses ranked choice voting.

Trump won Alaska in 2016, 2020 and 2024, according to NBC News.

Why it matters for Alaska voters

For Alaskans who have not yet voted, the endorsement signals that one of the state's most prominent Republicans is putting cooperation with the Legislature ahead of party label in this race. Murkowski framed her choice as a question of who can govern with lawmakers, not simply who belongs to which party.

Voters face a ballot with four candidates for governor and a ranked choice system, so the endorsement lands in a crowded field only a week before the election.

Murkowski and the Senate race

Murkowski is not up for re-election until 2028. She has also endorsed Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan in his re-election bid this year. Sullivan is in a competitive race that includes Democratic candidate Mary Peltola and a candidate named Dan J. Sullivan Jr.

NBC News reported that the Trump administration sued election officials in Alaska last week. The administration argued that Sullivan Jr.'s presence on the ballot could mislead voters who meant to support Sullivan's re-election. Murkowski criticized the move on X, writing that Alaskans do not need any help voting for their preferred candidates and that the state had already handled the issue by clearly distinguishing the candidates on this year's ballot.

Trump responded the next day on social media, attacking Murkowski and calling her the Republicans' worst senator by far, according to NBC News.

Around Prague, based on reporting by NBC News