Lisa Ann Murkowski is the senior United States senator representing Alaska, a position she has held since 2002. She is the first woman to represent Alaska in the Senate and the second-most senior Republican woman in the Senate. Murkowski became the dean of Alaska's congressional delegation after the death of Representative Don Young.
May 22, 1957: Lisa Murkowski's Birth
Lisa Ann Murkowski was born on May 22, 1957.
December 2002: Senate Appointment and Father's Resignation
In December 2002, Lisa Murkowski was appointed to the Senate by her father, Frank Murkowski, who resigned from his seat to become governor of Alaska.
2002: Beginning of Senate Career
Lisa Murkowski began her service as the senior United States senator representing Alaska in 2002.
2003: Property Sale
Lisa Murkowski sold a property in 2003, which she later disclosed in her amended Senate financial disclosures in 2008.
2004: Senate Financial Disclosures
Lisa Murkowski's Senate financial disclosures for 2004 were part of amendments made in 2008.
2004: First Full Senate Term Election
Murkowski won her first full Senate term in 2004.
January 2005: Completion of Senate Term
Lisa Murkowski completed her father's unexpired Senate term in January 2005.
2005: "Alaska Pasta Company" Sale
Lisa Murkowski sold her "Alaska Pasta Company" in 2005, which she later disclosed in her amended Senate financial disclosures in 2008.
2006: Senate Financial Disclosures
Lisa Murkowski's Senate financial disclosures for 2006 were part of amendments made in 2008.
July 2007: Land Deal Controversy
In July 2007, Murkowski faced an ethics complaint alleging she bought land from Anchorage businessman Bob Penney for significantly less than market value, prompting her to sell the land back.
2008: Financial Disclosure Amendments
In 2008, Lisa Murkowski amended her Senate financial disclosures for the years 2004 through 2006, including income from the sale of a property in 2003 and her "Alaska Pasta Company" in 2005.
August 24, 2010: Republican Primary Loss
On August 24, 2010, Murkowski lost the Republican Party primary election to Joe Miller.
November 17, 2010: Write-in Victory Confirmation
On November 17, 2010, it was confirmed that Murkowski had won the Senate seat through a write-in campaign.
December 10, 2010: Dismissal of Miller's Case
An Alaskan judge dismissed Joe Miller's case challenging the election results on December 10, 2010, paving the way for Murkowski's win.
2010: Write-in Senate Victory
Murkowski lost the Republican primary but won the general election as a write-in candidate in 2010.
2010: Shifting Political Stance
Following her reelection in 2010, Lisa Murkowski's voting record was perceived as becoming more moderate.
2013: Alignment with Obama's Policies
According to CQ Roll Call, in 2013, Murkowski voted in line with President Barack Obama's position 72.3% of the time, one of only two Republicans with such a high alignment.
2013: Moderate Republican Ranking
In 2013, the National Journal assessed Lisa Murkowski as a moderate Republican, ranking her as the 56th most liberal and 44th most conservative senator.
2016: Third Senate Term Election
Murkowski was elected to her third Senate term in 2016.
2016: Reelection to the Senate
In 2016, Lisa Murkowski won the Republican Party nomination and was reelected to the Senate, defeating Libertarian Party nominee Joe Miller.
2017: Filing for a Fourth Term
Lisa Murkowski filed to run for a fourth term in the Senate in 2017.
2017: GovTrack Ranking
In 2017, GovTrack analysis positioned Lisa Murkowski as the second most liberal Republican senator, to the left of all Republicans except Susan Collins.
2018: Vote on Brett Kavanaugh's Confirmation
In 2018, Murkowski voted "present" on the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States, a decision made as a favor to Senator Steve Daines.
2018: Net Worth Disclosure
In 2018, according to OpenSecrets.org, Lisa Murkowski had a net worth exceeding $1.4 million.
March 2019: Climate Change Advocacy
In March 2019, Lisa Murkowski and Joe Manchin co-authored an op-ed for The Washington Post advocating for a balanced approach to climate change policy, criticizing the prevailing polarized debate in Congress.
2019: Liberal and Conservative Ratings
In 2019, the liberal Americans for Democratic Action gave Murkowski a score of 10%, while the American Conservative Union's Center for Legislative Accountability assigned her a lifetime conservative score of 56.72.
June 2020: Opposition from Former President Trump
In June 2020, former President Donald Trump pledged to campaign against Murkowski's reelection bid due to her opposition to some of his initiatives and her vote to convict him during his second impeachment trial.
December 2020: Opposition to Trump's Veto
In December 2020, Murkowski criticized former President Trump's veto of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, specifically highlighting its negative impact on Alaska's Coast Guard infrastructure.
2020: Vote on Amy Coney Barrett's Confirmation
In 2020, Lisa Murkowski opposed procedural motions to expedite Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation to the Supreme Court, although she ultimately voted to confirm Barrett.
January 6, 2021: Call for Trump's Resignation
Following the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, Murkowski became the first Republican senator to call for Trump's resignation, holding him responsible for inciting the insurrection.
January 2021: Alignment with Trump's Policies
As of January 2021, FiveThirtyEight reported that Murkowski voted with Trump's position approximately 72.6% of the time.
May 27, 2021: Support for January 6 Commission
On May 27, 2021, Murkowski voted in favor of establishing a bipartisan commission to investigate the January 6 Capitol attack, a vote that ultimately failed to reach the required 60 "yes" votes.
June 18, 2021: Trump Endorses Challenger
On June 18, 2021, former President Trump endorsed Kelly Tshibaka, former Alaska Department of Administration commissioner, to challenge Murkowski in the 2022 Senate election.
July 10, 2021: Alaska Republican Party Endorsement
On July 10, 2021, the Alaska Republican Party endorsed Kelly Tshibaka over incumbent Lisa Murkowski for the 2022 Senate election.
September 30, 2021: Vote to Avoid Government Shutdown
On September 30, 2021, Murkowski was among 15 Senate Republicans who voted alongside all Democrats and both Independents to pass a temporary spending bill, preventing a government shutdown.
October 7, 2021: Debt Ceiling Vote
On October 7, 2021, Murkowski joined 10 other Republicans and all Democrats to break a filibuster against raising the debt ceiling, though she ultimately voted against the bill to raise it.
2021: National Defense Authorization Act Veto
In 2021, former President Trump vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act, impacting Murkowski's home state of Alaska.
February 5, 2022: Condemnation of RNC Censure
On February 5, 2022, Murkowski, alongside Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, condemned the Republican National Committee's censure of Representatives Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney for their participation in the January 6 investigation, specifically challenging the RNC's characterization of the Capitol riot as "legitimate political discourse."
April 7, 2022: Confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson
On April 7, 2022, Murkowski voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, joining only two other Republicans: Mitt Romney and Susan Collins.
2022: Reelection Victory
In 2022, Murkowski won reelection to the Senate, defeating Kelly Tshibaka in a ranked-choice voting system.
2022: Targeted for Reelection
Murkowski faced a challenging reelection campaign in 2022, with opposition from former President Trump and the Alaska GOP.
2022: Fourth Senate Term Election
Murkowski was elected to her fourth Senate term in 2022.
January 2023: Alignment with Biden's Policies
As of January 2023, FiveThirtyEight reported that Lisa Murkowski had voted in alignment with President Biden's position approximately 67% of the time.
2023: Support for Willow Oil Project
As of 2023, Murkowski supports ConocoPhillips's controversial Willow oil drilling project in North Slope Borough, Alaska.