Lisa Murkowski Doesn’t Need the Republican Party
1st June 2022
The Alaska Republican Party no longer wants Lisa Murkowski. That’s just fine by her.
In a traditional one-person-one-vote system, Murkowski would be sweating bullets right about now. The Alaskan Republican Party has censured her and endorsed Kelly Tshibaka, the former commissioner of the state’s Department of Administration. President Trump has also thrown his weight behind Tshibaka. Murkowski has repeatedly voted against the Republican Party and Alaskan interests on key issues. In any other situation, she would be losing her seat — and for good reason.
Fortunately for Murkowski, this year will be the test of Alaska’s ranked-choice voting (RCV) system. The ballot measure, which passed narrowly in 2020, established a nonpartisan top-four primary and RCV for the general election. Although Maine and many locales use RCV, Alaska is unique in its top-four primary. The special election to fill the remainder of the late congressman Don Young’s House term will test the system, but the unusual and chaotic conditions of the special election will prevent it from being a great predictor of the Senate race in November.