Tshibaka concedes with grace to Murkowski, who wins with over 50% for first time in her history, thanks to open primaries

By
Suzanne Downing
-
122

With the vote totals now final in Alaska, it becomes clear that Sen. Lisa Murkowski was able to win due to 20,543 of Democrat Pat Chesbro’s ballots awarded to her in the ranked-choice voting election. That means people who votes for the Democrat first, picked Murkowski over Kelly Tshibaka 10 to 1. Only 2,209 of Chesbro voters picked Tshibaka second on their ballots.

Murkowski had but 43.37% of first-round votes, but with Chesbro votes was able to get to 53.69% in the final tabulation. She has never won with more than 48.6% of votes in the past.

Murkowski won with 48.6% of the vote in 2004, 39.5% in 2010, and 44.4% in 2016. This election, with the open primary and ranked-choice system designed by her allies to aid her, she reached her highest number yet.

Even with that, Congresswoman Mary Peltola got more votes in her final tally in the congressional race than Murkowski got in her Senate race, with Peltola receiving 136,893 votes, and Murkowski’s final number hovering at 135,972 votes.

Murkowski wrote, “Thank you, Alaska. I am honored that Alaskans – of all regions, backgrounds and party affiliations – have once again granted me their confidence to continue working with them and on their behalf in the U.S. Senate. I look forward to continuing the important work ahead of us.”

Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka, who got 117,299 (46.31%) in the final tally, conceded to Murkowski and wished her well with the following statement:

“I’m proud of the race we ran and proud to have united Alaskans in our fight against the disastrous Biden administration, which has targeted our economy every single day they have been in office. I entered the race to be a voice for the voiceless, and to stand up for the Alaskans who stood up for me and my family when we needed opportunities. I love this state with all my heart because of its endless potential and because of the resilient, compassionate, and fiercely loyal people who call it home. I will continue to fight for Alaska and for we, the people, but will take some time to reflect upon what that may look like.

“It’s clear from the ranked choice tabulations that Sen. Lisa Murkowski has been re-elected, and I congratulate her on that. The new election system has been frustrating to many Alaskans, because it was indisputably designed as an incumbent-protection program, and it clearly worked as intended. Additionally, it is regrettable that Sen. Mitch McConnell spent millions of dollars in this race on deceptive ads to secure what he wanted – a Senate minority that he can control, as opposed to a majority that he could not. Donors’ money would have been better spent in other states to elect more Republicans that would have secured a majority in the Senate. In the end, however, our Alaska U.S. Senate election turned out to be another victory for the Washington, D.C. insiders who rarely have our best interests at heart.

“No matter how dark things may seem to some right now, the light of hope can never be extinguished in the Land of the Midnight Sun. I saw that light shining bright and strong in the eyes of the thousands of Alaskans I met along the way, and the thousands more who supported our campaign by volunteering, by donating, and by voting. I felt the warmth of that light in the open arms with which they welcomed me into their communities, villages, and homes. I am deeply grateful for their kindness, generosity, and support.

“I also thank my wonderful husband, Niki, and five incredible children for enduring the long hours and never-ending travel. I am grateful to President Trump for his support and encouragement. Above all, I thank God, who makes everything possible, for guiding me on this journey.

“Stay tuned. The best is yet to come!” Tshibaka said.

122 COMMENTS

  1. Good form, Tshibaka! The election is over! And, thank God, Senator Murkowski has been re-elected! The people have spoken!

    • “And thank God, Senator Murkowski has been re-elected!”
      .
      But, you didn’t say WHICH god we should thank for this. I am placing my bets on Xipe Totec, the Aztec god who demanded human sacrifices in the form of his priests wearing the flayed skins of their victims.

      • I’m sure that you’ve already reneged on your last bet with regard to Murkowski and Tshibaka! Why insist on humiliating yourself?

      • The madness of humanity, is not an excuse to brainwash everyone else, to behave like that. God-given instincts are there to utilize.
        Start using them, or lose your compass in life , and get spun out like everyone else.

    • I wonder how many “establishment ” Republicans, that were avid Begich supporters, voted for Murkowski?
      More than we want to believe.
      Once again, thank the Begich voters for Murkowskis victory.

      • Really? you must me one of the people that did not realize Nick was an honest hard working man A Christian conservative not like the ILK of the Begich family. They held fund raisers for Peltola for your information. What is it about people that want our state to go down the tubes. Certainly not one that lived here the it was a red state and great schools also a good assembly , so sad for you

  2. Brought to you by oodles of dark outside money and ranked choice voting.

    Is this how you want to live Alaska? As a colony?

  3. Good, good. Now we can see once and for all what Lisa murkowski really means to Alaska. Please…. For the love of God, pay attention to what happens to the port, good jobs and the f-35s that “ princess Lisa” “fought” for in the next 6 years……. then tell me if she was the right choice. We get what we vote for Alaska. See you on the other side…..

  5. RVC worked as designed. Re-elected a wildly unpopular Senator who wouldn’t have won her own primary.

    Next Monday I wonder if the afternoon drive host will continue to say if we’d only voted as he told us.

  7. Murkowski didn’t win by 50%. Closer to 43% . Picking up Chesbro’s second place votes is a fiction. RCV is a fiction designed by losers who know they can’t win without some kind of scheme to pull them through. That’s all RCV is…..a SCHEME. By Democrats.
    .
    Where is that petition to repeal RCV? In ready to stand at Safeway and collect signatures.

    • It would be a welcomed change to see actual Alaskans getting signatures. I’d be right there with ya.
      I ask everyone that stops me for a signature where they are from.
      They’re all from down below. Same place that gave us RCV.

    • Let me walk you through this.

      -a highly organized campaign to get RVC was formed. It was funded by the sleaziest person in AK politics. It was heavily promoted (questionably unethically) by a local talk show host with a heavy business interest in the outcome.

      -people who objected didn’t organize against it

      – we the people voted on it. It won.

      -the opponents were outplayed, outworked, out funded, and out smarted.

      The results are stupid, harmful to AK, and predictable. But not fiction

      • That sleazeball was Scott Kendall. But, ironically, RCV didn’t get Bill Walker elected like it was designed to do. It didn’t get Kendall’s brother, Grier Hopkins, elected up in Fairbanks. What an embarrassment to both Walker and Hopkins.

      • you Are talking Afternoon talk Right? Hope that absolutely not Morning Drive Live with Dan, he is absolute opposite

    • Repeal should be Job One by the new legislature. Should pass by a simple majority. Only take a single sentence. Dunleavy should sign it. Cheers –

      • Should, but likely won’t.

        Our legislature should do lots of things, but they don’t.

        Remember last year and how they voted on their salaries? Unanimous and done in short order, before anything else. We keep electing idiots expecting them to not do idiotic things, they are representing those who’ve elected them.

        • The Legislature will not repeal RCV because too many of them benefitted from it. It will take an Initiative drive in 2023, just like the unions did in 2020 and 2021. The unions put all of their out of work members at Safeway, and Fred Meyer store entrances all summer long to get enough signatures for the ballot proposition. So, we must follow their tactics and get twice as many signatures. This is the ONLY way to do it. Get involved!!!! Follow their methods.

    • The referendum process is outlined in the Alaska Constitution Article XI. ‘https://law.justia.com/constitution/alaska/constitution-11.html?fbclid=IwAR1o_Lj8rZ8NiQdwMRyzCBfhJnQ4xDuQQlcCh-7WSoh4nx4YRUeT7DVtajY

  9. Yay! Alaska STILL can have Tshibaka and Nicholas all to ourselves. we don’t have to share these two rock n’ rollers, yet , with d.c.

  10. Prediction: Ms. Tshibaka will announce she is running for Congress by August 1, 2023. Message will likely be exactly the same as in the Senate campaign. If she wants to win she should consider talking about her contributions to Alaska (if any) and what she would hope to accomplish if she were elected. Running against Joe Biden will not be enough.

  12. Here is my prediction- Murkowski will still vote 70 plus percent of the time with democrats. People who voted for her will go golly gees I can’t believe she’s votes this way.

    • She voted with Trump over 80% if the time. You could actually research this kind of thing, but then you’d have to tone down your outrage.

      • She did not, More like 70%
        The 2 biggest Republicans who voted against the GOP the most are are Collins (Maine) and Murkowski . They are 1st & 2nd in opposing their own party
        Both states have “Stink Choice Voting” to preserve them.

        These 2 women Senators are part of a ‘gang of 7’ who voted the most against the GOP.
        2 others in this gang of 7 are both the Senators from Red Utah.

        Libs are taking over

  13. Question: After her loss today, how much longer will Kelly Tshibaka and her family remain in Alaska?
    Answer: By the summer, they will be gone.

    Although I am not a fan of Lisa Murkowski and her dysfunctional, lazy, and so-called “constituent affairs” staff along with other reasons, I bullet-voted for Lisa over Kelly Tshibaka. I cannot support Kelly because she should not have required the state of Alaska to pay $81,000.00 to move her family from the DC area to Alaska in order to establish residency and take advantage of jobs Mike Dunleavy created for her AND her husband. Also, it was wrong for her to try to equate her parents’ very temporary “homelessness” when they moved to Alaska when they were very young with what is going on now for lots of Anchorage individuals and families.

    As Kelly is unemployed and Alaskans have declined her representation in the US Senate, I am very sure she’ll make plans to “blow this pop stand” as soon as possible. I say, “Good riddance”.

    Next time, maybe Republicans will come up with a much better, long-term Alaska resident, and more representative candidate for the race against Dan Sullivan.

    • There are 248 Alaska projects jump started by the Bi Partisan infrastructure bill Senator Murkowski co-sponsored. The infrastructure bill will bring about $350 million more to Alaska infrastructure over the next 5 years. I will take this lazy Senator Murkowski over the grifter Tschibaka any day of the week

    • I’m fascinated by the fetish for “long term residents”. Mark Begich is a long term resident. Sarah Palin, Mary P, Bill Walker, Byron Mallot, Click Bishop, and so many more. All long term residents who have screwed this state. Princess Lisa is a long term resident.

      We are a highly transient state. Waiting for your long term unicorn is a waste of time. Look for solid conservatives instead.

      Voting for a proven Trojan horse because you’re butt hurt over a common corporate decision to pay high value people relocating fees is the sort of mindset which got us here.

      • YES THANK YOU!!Thank You !! Kelly was born at Providence Hospital , Lived in the Valley Plus she went to Harvard graduated with honors, only had to take the Bar Exam once. Ask your fav Lisa how many times she flunked out on that exam!! Tru story

  14. Why can,t Lisa just realize how many of us just outright hate her, she is a despicable poster girl
    for RCV. Thanks milke P,

  16. Proud to have voted for you Kelly. You Ran a great campaign, and a very TOUGH ONE TOO. You did an incredible job, for a First Time Canidate against a 3 term incumbent with over 40 years of name recognition. After decades of dolling out Money to Special Interests, and creating an addiction for it, provided Lisa with a huge amount of votes before the race even started. Remember you STOOD for One Party, while Lisa stood for a Coalition. For you to have Racked up the Numbers that you did for a first time Canidate is amazing. Looking forward to voting for you in an old fashion Primary. We need to start now with both lobbying this session and a petition. Kelly—You didn’t lose, you just INTRODUCED YOURSELF TO ALASKA

      • We’re all covered down here in Florida. Perhaps she could try Georgia or some other state close to the ropes. We’re so good down here that we are actually going to change Florida state law and allow DeSantis to stay in office has governor if and while he becomes a candidate for president. It used to be that way and then Florida changed their rules to get Christy out when he was Clinton’s running mate I believe. Now we’re going to change him back because we have the house and the Senate here in Florida and we can do things like this. People that don’t like it, well tough noogies. You can always move to New Mexico.

    • Thank you Sarge. Lisa has become a DC millionaire wielding the evil Planned Parenthood, wha a nice sounding name for murderers of babies. lobbyists love her $$$ she does good work for bad people

    • The US Supreme Court said that abortion (I can barely type the murderous word) is a state issue. With with Murkowski and Tshibaka running for US senate, how would their opposite views on the issue affect Alaska law? Wouldn’t that be for state reps and senators to hash out?

      • yes it is up to our legislators but they don’t care enough to fight. They won’t help us fight RCV either as they all got elected by it. We do have some good people down there but outnumbered by bad. But with one good thing, to our Gov, does have a line item veto pen that most Gov’s do not. He need instructions on how to get it out of the desk drawer and use it !! and get his legislature into understanding they are there to SERVE US NOT THEMSELVES. But it’ going to take ration of letters and phone calls till they realize we want them to do the job we sent them there to do. And his Lt, Gov Dahlstrom needs to clean up the voter rolls, Does not need to be like the one that just left us in a mess. She was once in the state house but….Ill say no more to that. Phone calls are toll free

    • The difference? No. A difference? Clearly.

      In states where abortion issues were relatively settled, like us, it wasn’t much of a factor. Where candidates ran on it as a primary plank, it bit them.

      The primary difference is the lingering presence of Trump. His chosen candidates did poorly, and that drug down others.

  18. The Murkowski Dynasty lives on. Princess can now take over the Kingdom, and she can return back to her real Daddy Joe. Only Nancy knows it’s a fake Dynasty.

  19. Congratulations to the contenders. The campaigns were useful for distilling ‘messages’ that the candidates wanted to send.

    I just cannot understand why an intelligent, zesty and enthusiastic person involved in establishing a Christian base sought and flouted support for her mission from the poster boy of dark money, despotic nepotistic (and sociopathic) corruption, irresponsible piggishness, selfish criminality and rampant despotism. That whole aspect to her advertising clouded any possibly favorable future in politics.

    I hope if she runs again she’s had a ‘born again’ realization that Alaskans deserve winners that are dedicated to work with other more balanced folks with track records of providing fair governance that is beneficial for the present and future of all the citizens and electorate.

  20. Disappointed…..I was hoping that Murkowski would only be in the history books from now on if you wanted to hear that name ever again!
    6 more years of RHINO voting brings me to knowing RCV has to go. She brought it to us!

  21. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE. So Mary Petola won?.. Remember she only won due to her stand on abortion;a mother’s right to kill their babies. Word word to Palin haters. If you, by any chance had voted for Sarah in second, instead of voting for Chesbro, just maybe we could have squeezed thru. Palin made the mistake of giving control over to her campaign assist manager who mismanaged her campaign and misinformation..Yes, she had problems whne Governor BUT Palin would have been a staunch fighter for our Congress, standing up for Alaska. Remember, it was the Congress that screwed up with her family when she was chosen to run for VP. Now, we’ll have Mary, who joined the liberal left Demons-crats in congress and we’ll lose our Alaskan rights to our land. Our oil rights will be stripped from us and more WOKE garbage will be voted in.

    • Peltola won because more voters agreed with her positions, one of which was that women have the right to make decisions about their own bodies. In contrast, fewer voters agreed with Palin’s positions, one of which was forcing women to give birth. See how democracy works?

      • That’s not entirely true. She won because she got the native vote just like murkowski did, and then when you add in the rest of the liberals in the state truly that’s all it takes to win. Natives in Alaska are not hung up on their bodies like white liberals are. I’ve never known a native woman to get an abortion. Some are on here would say that’s because they want another PFD or more welfare or more tribal or more whatever but in the end what you’re saying is incorrect. Just like black people in Georgia vote for black candidates although maybe that was a poor example since Kent won in Georgia against pork chop Abrams. But for those women who want to decide on their own bodies that’s fine that’s what the Constitution grants. The Constitution doesn’t grant women The authority or power to kill their unborn babies. The way I understand it, those unborn babies have the same rights as their mothers. But like I said earlier candidates don’t have the power to Grant or deny abortions. The United States Supreme Court decided that states have those rights not public officials by themselves.

  22. Murkowski is a bought and paid for POS by dark money and the left.
    Any of you chirping about how it’s good she won, you either do not live here or you are part of the continuing PROBLEM we have in Alaska. Leftist thinking cheaters who used ranked choice to get their way.
    Last thing this state needs is more Murkowski and her outright lies!!
    Exactly why I refuse to vote anymore! Why?!? There is zero credibility to any of it!

    • Please give examples of how a left of center state wil vote out Lisa. I’d like to see them.

      Princess won in a very large part to the attitudes of people like you. Did you campaign for Kelly? Donate? Attend GOP grass roots organizations? Go to school board meetings?

      A common thread I have found over the years is people with this attitude tend to have done damn little – often next to nothing to advance the causes they allegedly support. Acting does two things. 1-interferes with matching TV. 2-Gets in the way of your righteous butthurt indignation.

    • Well I used to live there for many many years and yes I have hugged murkowski at an airport and was shocked at the amount of bones that she has protruding from her body. And I’m not glad she won but I am glad that justice has prevailed. And if you don’t like the current system with RCV, then by all means put together a pac and get that decision on a ballot and get it changed. That’s the way things are done here in America. Sitting around on the sidelines or off in the woods somewhere with Hillary don’t get it done.

  23. This was absolutely predictable.
    Tshibaka was seldom asked why she would not reveal what her investigation of division of elections was! Shame on you obsessed supporters of her for not pressuring her on this! Her response to me publicly was join my team and I will show you what to look for!
    Shame on you Kelly for your stupid and naive response!
    It’s getting cold outside, time to build your campfire, sit in a circle and sing kumbiya, while the state and nation goes up in flames!!!

    • Shame on you!! Governor Dunleavy had her do the investigation and he would not allow the findings
      to be made public. They were redacted to a point made no sense. Fixed that!! nobody would be able to read the findings

  24. Kelly ran a good race. As long as we have a shell game for a system we no longer really have an election. RCV has to go and we need to get back to a vote is a vote, period.

    • Yes I believe you are correct, although Lisa one outright playing the shell game or not. You’ve got to do something about the candidate. You’ve got to put forth a single candidate that is capable of capturing the native Alaskan vote they are the swing voters.

  26. Ranked Choice Voting was brought to Alaska by outside democrats, and pushed through by MILLIONS of dollars from outside democrats. The same group who did this tried to push it on North Dakota the year before they came here. ( Kathryn Murdoch, anyone? )
    Here in Alaska, with less than 800k people, there is no legitimate reason to use any voting system other than in-person voting, paper ballots, ID required, and hand counting at the precinct level. We already had a good system in place for absentee voting if needed. Mail-in ballots, voting machines, and centralized counting are all in place specifically for the purpose of cheating. The ridiculously long counting times and statistically impossible outcomes make this obvious.

    • Take this up with the useless GOP leadership who sat on their backsides while the left outworked them.

      And local talk show hosts who took money to push this on his radio show.

    • LISA is the outside democrat it was meant to help and she and her friends most likely helped funnel the $$
      After all she knew she could not win with the old honest way closed primary on candidate one vote

  27. Did RCV give Murkowski the win?
    Another six years of a want-a-be Democratic Rhino representing liberal agenda and not Alaska

  28. And Reuters is reporting that Lisa would have won with the old system. A clear lie designed to support RCV and open primaries in other states. Just watch this cancer grow now that it’s proven to split the conservative vote in support of Dems and RINO’s.

  29. I have no confidence that Lisa won anything. Totally fraud from the start of Lisa’s career and I’m sure until she finishes. We need paper ballots and elimination of outside money. Soros has influenced our elections and what is on our ballots. 2020 was a eye opener and 2022 confirms the outright corruption our elections have become. Kelly shouldn’t concede anything and I hope Arizona pushes back until there are new elections.

      • Terry, do you know how sad you sound? Blatant, obvious fraud, but just go along with it, don’t say anything, because you might sound “loony”. You will be OWNED by leftists and RINOs, but at least you won’t sound “loony”. For the democrats, you and Lisa are star players…. – M.John

        • MJohn. Deniers always make grand statements about possible election fraud, but you NEVER offer any evidence. Not necessarily proof, but just a whiff of evidence that would support your claim of blatant obvious fraud. Do it. Convince us of the fraud.

    • The count looks to be incorrect.

      Tshibaka’s ‘second round’ tabulation of a negative 8540 is greater than the sum of votes transferred to others.

  30. The Lisa Murkowski propaganda machine has a bizarre stranglehold on Alaska. Alaskans don’t allow dynasties, do they? And Lisa, “loves Alaska with all her heart.” Complete BS, as Lisa has been living in DC for the 20 years. The Murkowskis’ suck!

  32. All this proves is Murkowski can’t win on her own and she knew it. Her radical allies in Washington poured dark money into Alaska to enshrine RCV and attack Kelly relentlessly with false negative ads. Alaska has now joined the left coast as a failed State. Who in their right mind supports RCV? It literally is designed to allow leftists to support leftists and or their allies like Murkowski. Alaska voters are now being manipulated and controlled like cattle. You have been sold out by corrupt elements within the GOP that really couldn’t care a less about your values or our Constitutional Republic. There is a cancer in the GOP being led by sellouts like McConnell that must be removed before this nation can move forward. Shame on Dunleavy for using machines that have been proven to steal votes and for allowing mail-in ballots without signature verification. Shame on Dunleavy for not cleaning our voter rolls. The best thing we can do now is repeal RCV and insist on an election integrity bill. Alaska had a chance to elect a jewel in Kelly Tshibaka and it was taken away by a plot from swamp creatures that have their own interests in mind over average citizens. What an absolute tragedy for Alaska. Wake up Alaska and cast off your brainwashing, your future is being stolen! Stop buying into propaganda that they are feeding you by the shovel full.

    • Johnson: that’s quite the assessment. Could also be that voters believe Murkowski to be the better candidate.

    • Mr. Johnson, there will always be winners and losers–the losers being whiners. It’s nice to know that you lost!

    • Exactly where and when have the “machines” been proven to steal votes? I would really love to read it. Keep in mind that Fox News reporting and My Pillow Guy rants do not meet the criteria for evidence.

  33. Very Classy Lady! The difference between someone that worked hard to try and unseat the person it was originally handed to and that the machine has kept in place.

  34. MRAK calls this conceding with grace? Does anyone even care about the absolute blind bias of this article? I guess for a trump backed candidate, “grace” is defined as not claiming the election was fraudulent.

    • What did you want Kelly to do, go down to midtown and set a 7-Eleven on fire and protest like they do in Portland OR Seattle? Give me a break. Nothing can be gained by throwing a b**** fit. Best just move on and lick your wounds and see what you can do to improve yourself to be a better candidate.

    • she is not like Lisa would have been had she lost. There would have not been anything except trying another fraudulent write in campaign which she had to tell the people what her name was and how to spell it. Plus McConnell threatened to take her position away but then she won and he patted her on the back for learning how DC operates.

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