A Republican senator is breaking with her party to back a Democratic candidate for governor, delivering a high-profile endorsement in a race where Donald Trump has already thrown his support behind a Republican rival.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska announced Tuesday that she is endorsing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, arguing that the state’s future depends on leaders who can work across party lines.
“Our future is too important to be hamstrung by partisan divisions,” Murkowski said in a statement.
The endorsement is another sign of Murkowski’s willingness to defy her party’s political direction — a stance that has repeatedly put her at odds with Trump.
Murkowski said Kreiss-Tomkins understands that governing means listening to people with different viewpoints and finding common ground.
She pointed to Alaska’s fiscal future, rising energy costs and the need to grow the state’s economy as issues requiring serious attention.
“I believe Jonathan is committed to working toward solutions that serve all Alaskans, regardless of party,” she said.
Kreiss-Tomkins welcomed the endorsement, saying Alaskans deserve a government capable of working through disagreements rather than getting consumed by political conflict.
He pledged to work with Alaska’s congressional delegation, state lawmakers, industry leaders and communities across the state.
The message of cooperation is a central part of his campaign — and one that now has the backing of a Republican senator who has frequently challenged her party.
Murkowski has crossed party lines before. In 2024, she endorsed Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola’s reelection campaign, although Peltola ultimately lost.
This year, however, Murkowski has voiced support for Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, who is running against Peltola. Her latest endorsement reflects a willingness to make different choices in different races rather than automatically backing Democrats or Republicans.
The support for Kreiss-Tomkins also comes from another prominent Republican: his opponent’s father, former Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski. He endorsed the Democrat in an opinion piece published Tuesday by the Anchorage Daily News, alongside two other former governors — Democrat Tony Knowles and independent Bill Walker.
Murkowski’s endorsement puts her at odds with Trump, who has repeatedly attacked the Alaska senator and once called her “the Republicans’ Worst Senator, by far.”
Kreiss-Tomkins is competing against three Republicans — Bernadette Wilson, Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor — to replace outgoing Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
Trump endorsed Wilson earlier this month. He has also urged Bronson and Taylor to leave the race, apparently seeking to prevent the Republican vote from splitting among multiple candidates. So far, neither has dropped out.
A September 2026 New York Times/Siena poll put Kreiss-Tomkins at 40% support, ahead of Wilson at 20%, Bronson at 15% and Taylor at 11%.
Those numbers suggest the Democratic candidate has built an early advantage in a contest where Trump is trying to shape the Republican field.
