Senator Lisa Murkowski was re-elected in Alaska, giving her another victory over former president Donald Trump. This is the latest blow on a long list of defeats for Trump’s chosen candidates in competitive Senate races.
One of only seven Republicans to vote for the conviction of Trump in his second impeachment trial, Joe Murkowski survived a challenge from Trump-endorsed Kelly Tshibaka, a former Alaska Department of Administration commissioner. Ranked-choice voting was first used in this, their state’s first Senate election.
The ranked-choice voting format allows voters to rank candidates in order of choice, which is more effective than limiting them to one. Neither Murkowski nor Tshibaka, the two top vote-getters in the first round of this November’s election, had a majority after the first choices were tabulated. A runoff between them was scheduled for Wednesday.
The race for Alaska’s U.S. Senate seat has been narrowed down to Lisa Murkowski, who came in first in the nonpartisan primary vote, as well as Fran Tshibaka, who was originally second in the primary but then advanced into first once Republican Buzz Kelley dropped out, and Patricia Chesbro, who came in third. On Wednesday night, a runoff vote began with ballots that were marked for the last-place candidate Kelley being distributed among the remaining three candidates based on who voters indicated they preferred mathematically. This distribution of second-choice votes helped Murkowski achieve a slim victory with her 50% to 48% lead over Tshibaka.
From the very beginning, the race was largely centered on the two leading Republicans and their relationship with President Trump.
One example is Tshibaaka, who said she would not support Sen. Mitch McConnell for another term as Senate’s GOP leader if she was elected.
After criticizing Trump and convicting him for inciting the Capitol insurrection, Murkowski became a target of the right wing. The Alaska Republican Party also censured her, and Trump began calling her “the disaster from Alaska.” He backed Tshibaka to challenge her in the 2020 Senate race.
Murkowski has a moderate profile and is willing to work with Democrats. She was one of only three Republicans who voted for Justice Brown Jackson in April and has bucked the party in other big votes during the Trump administration, as well. For her closing argument on the campaign trail, Murkowski vowed to “work with anyone, from either party, to advance Alaska’s priorities.”
Advocates of ranked-choice voting, a system that received national attention for its use in last year’s New York City mayoral election, believe the setup benefits moderate candidates who work hardest to appeal to the broadest group of people.
