ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Senator Lisa Murkowski has endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins.
“JKT is a young Alaskan with a point of view and perspective that I think Alaska needs right now,” Murkowski told Rebecca Palsha on Tuesday.
Murkowski says the state needs a governor willing to work with all of Juneau’s lawmakers and someone who is interested in building things, rather than stopping action.
“We need a governor who is going to work with the legislature,” she said. “This must happen for the delegation to be successful in Washington DC.”
Murkowski also says polls show Alaskans are unhappy with the direction the state is going. She also criticized Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration.
“I found fault. I found fault with the Dunleavy administration. I think they left federal money on the table. I think in some areas where we’ve worked hard to provide opportunities on the federal side here at the state, the state has failed.”
She specifically mentioned the Alaska Marine Highway System.
Alaska’s senior senator has long crossed party lines and previously supported Democrat Mary Peltola’s reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives, which she lost to current Rep. Nick Begich in 2024. She also did not vote for the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018.
She has long been a target of President Donald Trump since his first term and his harsh words towards her have intensified as Election Day approaches. Trump endorsed Republican Bernadette Wilson on October 13, hours before appearing at a rally in Wasilla.
Trump called Murkowski one of the worst members of the chamber and also criticized ranked-choice voting, calling it a “democratic scam.”
“The worst Republican senator by far, Lisa Murkowski from the great state of Alaska,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, before describing her as a “disgrace to Alaska and our country.”
In response to previous criticism from other GOP leaders about not always voting along party lines, Murkowski responded that she was aware that she had “not always been on the right ticket in the Alaska Republican Party.”
“I recognize that, but that’s not my directive,” Murkowski said. “My directive is to serve the people of the State of Alaska. And that means Republicans and that means Democrats and Independents and that means people who choose not to be affiliated with any party at all.”
Kreiss-Tomkins, the former state lawmaker from Sitka — known as JKT — is the only Democrat in the Alaska gubernatorial race. He is running against the main Republicans: Bernadette Wilson, Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor.
Wilson has repeatedly called on Bronson and Taylor to withdraw from the race to avoid splitting the Republican vote, as has President Trump.
In the second of two social media posts this month, Trump said he would not support Bronson, saying Bronson had “begged” him to support him, but Trump said he would not oblige because he was not the leading Republican in the state’s primary in August. Bronson told Alaska’s News Source that his memories of the events leading up to Trump’s endorsement were “different than mine.”
Bronson responded to a request for comment from Alaska’s News Source on Tuesday within an hour of Murkowski’s endorsement, saying the senator has “the right to endorse whoever she wants, just like President Trump.”
“It’s his decision to make,” Bronson said. “My loyalty, however, remains to the people of Alaska and not to any political figure or endorsement.
“I respect that voters will make their own decisions, and I will continue to make my case directly to them: through my experience, my record of service, and my commitment to Alaska’s future. This race should be about the people we serve and the challenges our state faces. I’m focused on trusting Alaskans and working for what’s best for them.”
In response to Tuesday’s news, Treg Taylor expressed disappointment that Murkowski was supporting a Democrat for governor.
“I am not surprised by the support former governors Bill Walker and Tony Knowles have given to Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins,” Taylor said. “Under their leadership, Alaskans have experienced either an increase in taxes or a reduction in PFDs. Their support for a candidate proposing new taxes is consistent with this history.”
“What is particularly disappointing is Senator Lisa Murkowski’s decision to cross partisan lines and support a Democrat for governor. Alaskans deserve leadership that protects their PFDs, respects their hard-earned dollars, and prioritizes fiscal responsibility over additional taxation. As governor, that’s exactly what I will do!”
In a September 2026 New York Times/Siena poll, Kreiss-Tomkins is ranked as the top candidate with about 40% of likely Alaska voters choosing him. Wilson sits at 20%, Taylor at 11% and Bronson at 15%.
Kreiss-Tomkins also brought in more money than all three Republican candidates.
In an interview with Alaska’s News Source last summer, Kreiss-Tomkins said he was running for governor to help move the state in the right direction.
“I feel like the last eight years under our current governor have been, frankly, a failure. Kind of a dumpster fire for Alaska. All the indicators look like our state is going in the wrong direction and I want to turn that around. I believe in problem-solving and collaboration. That’s really been my approach in the legislature. I feel like we’ve absolutely missed that in the governor’s office over the last eight years and I want to kind of change that equation,” he said at the time.
This is a developing story, check back for details. Reporter Wil Courtney contributed to this report.
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