Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for governor
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, crossing party lines about a week before Election Day. She said his approach could bridge partisan divisions; her father, former Republican Sen. Frank Murkowski, also endorsed him. Kreiss-Tomkins leads a four-way race, with a September New York Times/Siena poll reporting 40 percent support among likely voters.
More context
On Tuesday, Alaska's Republican senator Lisa Murkowski announced she was backing Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for governor, breaking with her party roughly a week before Election Day. She announced her support in an interview with KTUU-TV. Kreiss-Tomkins is running against three Republicans to replace term-limited Gov. Mike Dunleavy; one of them, Bernadette Wilson, has Donald Trump’s endorsement, NBC News reported. “Our future is too important to be hamstrung by partisan divisions,” Murkowski said in a statement. Her father, former Republican Sen. Frank Murkowski, also endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins, as did former Democratic Gov. Tony Knowles and former independent Gov. Bill Walker. A September New York Times/Siena poll cited by The Hill put Kreiss-Tomkins at 40 percent among likely voters, ahead of Wilson at 20 percent, Republican candidate Dave Bronson at 15 percent and Republican candidate Treg Taylor at 11 percent.
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Reporting
- NBC News — Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorses Democrat in Alaska governor’s race
- Politico — Murkowski endorses Democrat in Alaska governor race - POLITICO
- Alaska Beacon — Murkowski and Murkowski endorse Alaska’s Democratic governor candidate | Alaska Beacon
- The Washington Post — Murkowski endorses Democrat in Alaska governor race - The Washington Post
- Fox News — Murkowski snubs Trump-backed Alaska candidate, endorses Democrat for governor
- The Hill — Murkowski backs Alaska Democrat for governor
- Alaska Public Media — Murkowski endorses Democrat JKT in Alaska governor's race
- alaskasnewssource.com — Sen. Murkowski endorses Democrat JKT in Alaska’s governor’s race
Verifier’s note
Alaska’s News Source, NBC News, POLITICO, Alaska Beacon, The Washington Post, Fox News, The Hill, and Alaska Public Media all report that Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for Alaska governor. These are timely reports published October 27–28, 2026, and they agree on the central claim.