By ZACK GOTTSHALL
Sen. Lisa Murkowski recently declared on national television: “The GOP is more of a MAGA party, and I don’t fit well.”
Let’s be honest — that wasn’t news. It was a long-overdue confession.
Sen. Murkowski hasn’t represented the Republican Party’s values in over a decade. In 2010, she lost her primary and returned to the US Senate only by way of a write-in campaign supported largely by Democrats and independents. Since then, she’s voted to convict President Donald Trump, opposed constitutionalist judicial nominees, and regularly sides with the very left-wing interests she claims to “balance.”
Now she openly admits she doesn’t align with the party at all.
So the real question is this: Why does the senator still call herself a Republican when it’s politically convenient, yet reject Republican values when it matters most? And why does the Alaska GOP continue to treat her like she’s one of us, as if she’s fighting for conservative principles, when time and again, she’s shown she’s not?
Murkowski often claims she is “voting her conscience” or “representing her constituents.” But the facts don’t back that up. Alaskans voted for President Donald J. Trump three times: In 2016, 2020, and again in 2024. He won our state by clear margins each time. The majority of Alaskans support conservative, pro-America policies, not the DC brand of bipartisan gamesmanship Murkowski defends.
So when she claims to speak on behalf of Alaskan voters, she is clearly wrong. Her record aligns more with the priorities of Senate Democrats than with the Republican majority of her own state.
Across Alaska, numerous Republican House Districts have passed formal censure resolutions against Senator Lisa Murkowski, including Districts 3, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 26, 29, and 31. District 6 on the Kenai Peninsula even invoked the Alaska GOP’s Article VII rule, calling for Murkowski’s permanent disqualification from endorsements or official support.
But despite this widespread and growing demand from the grassroots, party leadership has refused to place the matter on the agenda of a State Central Committee meeting, and the State Central Committee has failed to assert its authority to force the issue or bring it forward for a vote.
Worse still, some Republican leaders actively pressure or punish conservatives who challenge Murkowski’s influence, discouraging opposition and rewarding loyalty to the status quo. That’s not leadership — that’s cowardice.
It should not be controversial to say that a Republican senator should support Making America Great Again. MAGA is not a cult or a slogan. It’s a mission: Secure our borders. Protect our rights. Strengthen families. End government bloat. Defend our Constitution. Rebuild what was lost.
If Murkowski rejects that, then let her. But don’t let her keep the “R” next to her name while she votes like a Democrat and mocks the very people she claims to represent.
This isn’t about revenge. It’s about accountability. The Alaska Republican Party must stop enabling betrayal and start standing for something.
If Murkowski wants to caucus with Democrats, fine. But let her do it as one of them, not as a fraud hiding behind the Republican name.
We need bold conservatives. We need principled leadership. And we need to stop cowering behind political convenience.
Alaskans deserve a senator who reflects their values, not one who defies them. If Murkowski chooses to walk away from the Republican Party in principle, then Alaska voters should replace her in practice. We have the strength, the talent, and the grassroots momentum to elect a bold, unapologetic conservative who will fight for our state, defend our Constitution, and support the America First agenda.
Alaska doesn’t need a Democrat with an “R” by her name — we need a Republican who governs like one.
Alaska Republicans: demand a vote to censure Lisa Murkowski. Demand the GOP act like the conservative party it claims to be. And if party leadership won’t do it — replace them.
Enough is enough.
Zack Gottshall is former Vice Chair of the Alaska Republican Party.
