Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) endorsed her seatmate, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), in a bold departure from her previous close relationship and past cross-party endorsements of former Democratic Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola.
Peltola launched her electoral comeback bid on Monday morning, placing Murkowski in a difficult position between supporting her fellow GOP Alaskan senator or sticking by her previous endorsements of Peltola. Murkowski made headlines in 2022 and 2024 for bucking her party and supporting Peltola‘s House campaigns.
Murkowski told Alaska Public Media that she is backing Sullivan in 2026.
“We want to figure out how we’re going to keep in the majority,” Murkowski said. “And Dan delivers that.”
Murkowski previously told the Alaska Beacon in 2024 that she had “great respect and admiration for” Peltola, calling the moderate Democrat her “friend.”
“I think she has done a good job for all Alaskans. I admire her ability to stand up to the different political forces that are out there and just be guided by her own sense of what is right for Alaska,” Murkowski said of Peltola in 2024.
Murkowski’s endorsement of Sullivan comes as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Democratic leadership secured a morale-boosting win with Peltola’s bid. Schumer made a significant recruitment push for Peltola to challenge Sullivan and got his wish on Monday morning.
Peltola, who was the first Alaska Native American and woman elected to the state’s at-large House seat, is seen as a popular candidate among Alaskans by Democratic leadership. Peltola, a former tribal court judge for the Bethel tribe and fishing enthusiast, said she is running to put “Alaska first,” with an announcement video focused on textbook 2026 affordability matters.
“Systemic change is the only way to bring down grocery costs, save our fisheries, lower energy prices, and build new housing Alaskans can afford,” she said. “It’s about time Alaskans teach the rest of the country what Alaska first, and really America first, looks like.”
However, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has already blasted Peltola as a radical leftist in a new 45-second ad.
“After voters rejected Mary Peltola’s record pushing radical transgender policies and protecting Joe Biden’s relentless attacks on Alaska energy, she immediately cashed out to lobby for special interests,” NRSC Regional press secretary Nick Puglia said in a statement. “Voters trust Dan Sullivan to keep fighting for the Alaskan comeback and will reject Peltola again.”
The Senate Leadership Fund, which works to support a GOP majority in the Senate, also hit Peltola as someone who “repeatedly voted against American energy independence, secure borders, and the Alaskan way of life.”
Sullivan has served two terms in the Senate, representing Alaska since 2014. Sullivan won his most recent election in 2020 by over 12 percentage points, defeating his Democratic opponent, Dr. Al Gross.
MARY PELTOLA ANNOUNCES RUN FOR SENATE IN RECRUITING WIN FOR DEMOCRATS
Peltola lost her reelection campaign for the House in 2024, falling to her opponent, Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK), by about 2.4 points.
Neither Murkowski nor Peltola’s teams responded to the Washington Examiner‘s requests for comment.