Kelly Tshibaka trails Sen. Lisa Murkowski, but not by very much, in the race for U.S. Senate. The leading challenger to Murkowski did surprisingly well on Tuesday, posing a real challenge to Alaska’s senior senator. With 277 of 402 precincts reporting, and 142,051 votes so far, the current standing is:
- Lisa Murkowski, Republican incumbent: 61,503, 43.30%
- Kelly Tshibaka-Republican: 58,257, 41.01%
- Pat Chesbro-Democrat: 8,810, 6.20%
- Buzz Kelley-Republican: 3,148, 2.22%
The top three will be heading to the November ballot, and fourth-place Buzz Kelley also looks like he can retain his position for that ranked choice ballot
Murkowski has never broken 50% in an Alaska election, and as an incumbent, her results tonight have to be concerning. They mean that over 57% of the voters did not pick her, but chose an alternative among the 18 other choices on the Aug. 16 primary ballot. In 2016, she won reelection with 44.4% of the vote in the general election.
Ranked choice voting was supposed to change all that and was designed to help her win this election.
Leading up to the final-four rounds in November, she will have to make the case to voters that she is somehow better than Tshibaka, who has criticized her relentlessly during the past 18 months and has the endorsement of Donald Trump. Even with Democrat Pat Chesbro’s second-round votes, Murkowski does not reach the 50+1 that she would need to win. But there is a path for her, and she has a massive campaign war chest, plus outside groups that will come to her aid.
For Tshibaka, it’s a David and Goliath contest.
“This is just the first step in breaking the Murkowski monarchy’s grip on Alaska, as voters have clearly indicated that it’s time for a change in our representation in the Senate. As I have traveled across Alaska – enough miles to circumnavigate the globe – Alaskans tell me they want a new senator who listens to their concerns and votes in alignment with their values. After 21 years in the Senate, in a seat she was appointed to by her father which she funds with dark money from outside our state, Lisa Murkowski cares more about her status with the Washington, D.C. insiders than she does about what the people here at home think,” Tshibaka said in a statement.
“Tonight’s results also demonstrate that voters have clear choices. We already know that Murkowski says one thing in Alaska and then does the complete opposite in D.C. And we know that people on both sides of important issues – like abortion and the 2nd Amendment – can’t trust her because she’s always speaking out of both sides of her mouth. For Democrats, there is also a clear option in Pat Chesbro, who at least is honest about where she stands on issues,” she said.
Murkowski’s campaign did not release a statement on Tuesday night.
