Jul 10, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Alaska GOP endorses Murkowski challenger in U.S. Senate race

Rebecca Falconer

Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, arrives to a bipartisan infrastructure meeting at the Hart Senate Office building in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, June 22 — Sen. Lisa Murkowski, at the Hart Senate Office building in Washington, D.C., in June. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Alaska Republican Party endorsed former state commissioner Kelly Tshibaka on Saturday for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).

Why it matters: It's another sign of division in the GOP between supporters of former President Trump and those who've publicly criticized him. Several senators have been censured in their home states for voting to convict Trump at his second impeachment trial earlier this year — including Murkowski.

Trump has said he will campaign against Murkowski ahead of the 2022 midterms.

By the numbers: Members of the Alaska Republican State Central Committee voted 58-17 to endorse Tshibaka, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

The big picture: Murkowski has yet to file for re-election, but she said in a statement to the Daily News after the vote that she has "fought for Alaskan values in the U.S. Senate and will continue to do so."

Add Axios on Google

Alaska GOP endorses Murkowski challenger in U.S. Senate race

What to read next