Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, acknowledges she might lose her reelection bid to a GOP challenger.
Her comments came in an interview with The New York Times posted Thursday.
"I may be the last man standing," she said. "I may not be reelected, it may be that Alaskans say, 'Nope, we want to go with an absolute, down-the-line, always, always, 100% never-question, rubber-stamp Republican.'
"And if they say that, that's the way that Alaska has gone — kind of the same direction that so many other parts of the country have gone — I have to accept that. But I'm going to give them the option."
The Hill noted Murkowski has been known to split with Republicans on key votes, including her vote to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. She also voted to convict Donald Trump after he was impeached by the House following the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Trump has endorsed GOP primary challenger Kelly Tshibaka.
"Kelly Tshibaka is the candidate who can beat Murkowski — and she will," Trump said. "Kelly is a fighter who stands for Alaska values and America First."
The Times noted Murkowski has received $7.4 million worth of advertising from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's leadership political action committee to support her candidacy.
And for now, Murkowski continues to hold out hope.
"Maybe I am just completely politically naïve, and this ship has sailed," she told the Times. But I won't know unless we — unless I — stay out there and give Alaskans the opportunity to weigh in."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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