Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy reportedly intends to run for incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s seat in 2028 after his current term in office expires.
Moreover, Dunleavy is backed in his ambition by President Donald Trump.
“Trump has talked to him before about running and wants him to run,” a source close to the governor told Fox News.
BREAKING: Senator LISA MURKOWSKI will be primary challenged by Alaska Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy in 2028, per Fox.
Trump won Alaska by 13 points. Murkowski’s seat needs to be taken by someone who isn’t always at-odds with MAGA. pic.twitter.com/b8ajaowiP3
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 28, 2025
“Gov. Dunleavy has been not only a successful governor, but a pretty strong ally for him,” another source added.
“So, it’s only natural that he’d be hearing that from Alaskans — but also from folks in the broader MAGA movement,” the second source continued. “A lot of people have mentioned this [race] to him and I think it’s a very viable option for him.”
Turning to Murkowski, the source said, “Obviously there are a lot of frustrations with Sen. Murkowski.”
Indeed, Murkowski is considered a RINO by many because of her habit of siding with the Democrats on so many top issues, including abortion:
Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins just sided with the Democrats in an attempt to pass an amendment that would ensure federal funding to Planned Parenthood continued.
Says everything.pic.twitter.com/MDRjweeNS8
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) June 30, 2025
The second source went on to note that Murkowski has “never faced a challenger like” Dunleavy, who’s popular and well-liked.
Also speaking with Fox News, a top Alaska political analyst and pollster trumpeted Dunleavy’s run.
“Conservatives would welcome an opportunity to unseat Murkowski,” he said. “The fact that [Trump] and Murkowski have had such a strained relationship and Dunleavy and the president having a good relationship is really what has led us to this point in the conversation.”
The pollster also addressed Alaska’s so-called indigenous population, which mostly leans left but does sometimes vote right.
“What would happen in a matchup like this is they would feel conflicted, and you would see some of them probably back Dunleavy and some of them back Murkowski,” the pollster claimed.
“The ones that are primarily involved in the oil and gas and resources business, they view Murkowski as strong on those issues as well as Dunleavy. And, so, they would feel conflicted about who to support,” he added.
During the Biden administration, Murkowski broke with her colleagues a multitude of times to confirm then-President Joe Biden’s nominees.
Murkowski is Democrat. She may have a R behind her name but she’s a Democrat.
She voted for Biden nominees twelve times when Republicans did not.
Alaska you must vote this Democrat out of office. She is abusing the trust you put in her, she is not representing the will of the… https://t.co/ldhutXH9DA pic.twitter.com/FKn24SsYN5— Chronicles of Racist Liberals (@liberalsracists) January 23, 2025
As recently as just last month, the senator admitted to CNN that she doesn’t fit in with the modern Republican Party anymore because it’s become “more of a MAGA party.”
“I think you have seen that there is, I think, more room for me to work outside of the party,” she said. “My allegiance is not to a party. My allegiance is to the people of the state of Alaska. I take that responsibility pretty seriously.”
“The Republican Party is a different party today than certainly when I registered to vote as a Republican at 18. So, again, I don’t feel like my responsibility is to follow the contours of the Republican Party necessarily. My responsibility when I am here in the Senate is only to a Republican conference. It is certainly not just to a president. My responsibility, my oath is to the Constitution. My responsibility is to Alaskans,” she added.
“I think the Republican Party has changed. I think the Republican Party is more of a MAGA party, and I don’t fit well within those contours. My values are still the same,” she concluded.
Murkowski also has a history of voting in favor of former President Barack Obama’s disastrous agenda, opposing Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation, supporting wholly unequipped Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation, and voting to convict President Trump in his second impeachment.
Lisa Murkowski was appointed by her governor daddy to the Senate
She voted with Obama 72.3% of the time in 2013
She opposed Brett Kavanaugh for SCOTUS but supported Kentanji Brown
She voted to convict Trump in his 2nd impeachment
She’s lost 2 GOP primaries and been censured… pic.twitter.com/gwCyaR6oKE
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) January 24, 2025
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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