Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) isn't popular with a lot of Republicans. You can count this writer among the number of people who aren't enthralled with her. She has skipped to the other side of the aisle just a little too often to suit me, and to suit a lot of conservatives.
But, credit where credit is due: Lisa Murkowski has better than average political survivor skills. She may have been initially awarded her Senate seat like a feudal title, when her father, Frank Murkowski, was elected governor in 2002. This has led to some (me) anointing her with the farcical title of "Princess Lisa." She has held that seat, and annoyed Republicans in and out of Alaska ever since. Furthermore, she knows her coalition and she knows how to keep winning elections; in the 2010 election, she was primaried in Alaska's old partisan primary system by attorney Joe Miller, but Lisa Murkowski ran as a write-in candidate and won, being one of only two Senators to win election as a write-in candidate; the other being South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond in 1954.
She calculates. She considers her options. But she may well have crossed that partisan line one too many times. In her last reelection campaign, in 2022, she faced a serious Republican challenger, Kelly Tshibaka, who had won the endorsement of the Alaska Republican Party, but that was the first election under the then-new ranked choice voting (RCV) scheme, which many (including me) think is the main reason she won.
Which brings us to today, and the ongoing scandal with Democrat Senate candidate Mary Peltola, and the curious case of the Dan Sullivans on the ballot. While it seems these days that one can't swing a cat by the tail without hitting a guy named Dan Sullivan, there are only two on this year's Senate ballot: Incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan (R-AK) and a non-affiliated challenger, Dan J. Sullivan. There has been evidence coming hot and heavy over the last few days about the Peltola campaign's reportedly scouring the state for guys named Dan Sullivan to run as spoilers under the RCV system. Governor Dunleavy has ordered an investigation. President Trump has sounded off, calling it fraud.
And she continues to annoy Republicans, most recently by endorsing the one Democrat facing three Republicans on Alaska's 2026 gubernatorial election, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins. And, in a typically Murkowski manner, she has also endorsed the incumbent Dan S. Sullivan.
Now, Princess Lisa has weighed in on Alaska's Senate race again, and not on Mary Peltola's side.
While some may try to write this off as just how politics works now, ballot-stacking should have no place in our electoral process. Run and win on your merits: your views, your policy ideas, and your accomplishments. By contrast, recruiting candidates to manipulate the field and influence voting outcomes is simply wrong. Alaskans deserve the honest truth from Mary and her campaign—what has been revealed is a pattern of lies and coverups and a culture of deception that belongs nowhere in our elections or among our elected officials.
— Lisa Murkowski (@LisaForSenate) October 28, 2026
She writes:
While some may try to write this off as just how politics works now, ballot-stacking should have no place in our electoral process. Run and win on your merits: your views, your policy ideas, and your accomplishments. By contrast, recruiting candidates to manipulate the field and influence voting outcomes is simply wrong. Alaskans deserve the honest truth from Mary and her campaign—what has been revealed is a pattern of lies and coverups and a culture of deception that belongs nowhere in our elections or among our elected officials.
Well, she's not wrong.
But here's the interesting bit. Now, I can't read Sen. Murkowski's mind any more than anyone else can — but could the senator be angling to defray a possible repeal of RCV?
Also on Alaska's ballot this year is Ballot Measure 2:
ESTABLISH A PARTY PRIMARY SYSTEM, ELIMINATE THE NONPARTISAN AND OPEN TOP FOUR PRIMARY ELECTION SYSTEM, AN ACT REPLACING THE OPEN PRIMARY SYSTEM AND RANKED-CHOICE GENERAL ELECTION WITH THE POLITICAL PARTY PRIMARY & EASILY UNDERSTOOD ELECTION SYSTEM & ELIMINATING ALL PROVISIONS OF RANKED CHOICE VOTING AND JUNGLE PRIMARIES
This would take us back to the traditional partisan primaries, and the subsequent traditional elections — no more RCV. We've tried repeals before, and came within a whisker, despite being massively outspent by donor money, much of which came from Outside. This year, though, my gut feeling, gained by talking to a lot of people and seeing a lot of signage, is that we may do it this year. We may actually repeal RCV.
The scandal surrounding the Peltola campaign, right now, was made possible by RCV. That may tip some votes towards repeal.
And, remember, Sen. Murkowski very likely survived a primary challenge and a general election in 2022 because of RCV. A repeal of RCV and a strong Republican candidate in 2028 may well send Princess Lisa back to Alaska for good.
Could that be part of the reason for the metaphorical shiv Senator Murkowski just stuck into the Peltola campaign? Could Princess Lisa be angling to distract from the fact that only RCV could have made the shenanigans the Peltola campaign is accused of possible? Could she be looking to sink the repeal effort or at least to distract from it?
I can't read minds, any more than anyone else can. But... It wouldn't be the worst political calculation ever made. And, as I am continually pointing out about our notorious Senator, we may disagree with her, but we shouldn't underestimate her.
