Lisa Murkowski

Lisa Murkowski

Incumbent
Assumed office 
December 20, 2002
Serving with Mark Begich
Preceded by Frank Murkowski
Member of the
Alaska House of Representatives
from the 14th District
In office
1999–2002
Born May 22, 1957 (1957-05-22) (age 53)
Ketchikan, Alaska
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Verne Martell
Children Nic Martell
Matt Martell
Residence Anchorage, Alaska
Alma mater Georgetown University (B.A.)
Willamette University College of Law (J.D.)
Profession Lawyer
Religion Roman Catholic
Signature

Lisa Ann Murkowski (English pronunciation: //  ( listen); born May 22, 1957) is the senior U.S. Senator from the State of Alaska. Murkowski, a Republican, is the only woman ever elected to Congress from her state, in addition to being the first Senator born in Alaska. She was defeated on August 24, 2010, in the state's GOP primary election, ending a thirty year family dynasty in Alaska politics.[1][2]

Contents

Early life, family, and career

Murkowski was born in Ketchikan, Alaska to Nancy R. (née Gore) and future U.S. Senator from Alaska, Frank Murkowski. Her paternal grandfather was of Polish descent and her mother had Irish and French Canadian ancestry.[3] As a child, she and her family moved all over the state due to her father's job. Frank Murkowski worked in the banking industry until he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980. Murkowski earned a B.A. in economics from Georgetown University in 1980, and a Juris Doctor from Willamette University College of Law in 1985. She is a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority.[4]

She became a member of the Alaska Bar Association in 1987. She was an attorney in Anchorage, Alaska from 1985 to 1998. She also served, from 1990 to 1991, on the mayor's task force on the homeless.

In 1998, she was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives and named as House Majority Leader for the 2003–2004 session. She never served as Majority Leader, due to her appointment to the Senate. Murkowski sat on the Alaska Commission on Post Secondary Education and chaired both the Labor and Commerce and the Military and Veterans Affairs Committees. In 1999 she introduced legislation establishing a Joint Armed Services Committee.

Murkowski is married to Verne Martell. She has two children, Nic and Matt. Her father, Frank Murkowski, was Governor of Alaska from 2002 to 2006 in addition to being her immediate predecessor in the Senate.

U.S. Senate

Murkowski, while a member of the state House, was appointed by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski, to his own unexpired Senate seat in December 2002, which he had vacated after being elected governor. The appointment caused a furor[5] in the state, and eventually resulted in a referendum that stripped the governor of his power to directly appoint replacement Senators.[6] She was subsequently elected to a full six-year term against former Governor Tony Knowles in the 2004 election, after winning a primary challenge by a large margin. Near the end of the general campaign, senior senator Ted Stevens shot campaign ads for Murkowski and warned the public that if a Democrat replaced Murkowski they were likely to receive fewer federal dollars. She may have also been helped by George W. Bush carrying the state in a landslide over John Kerry.

Murkowski is a moderate Republican. She is generally pro-choice on abortion and supports stem cell research. She is also a member of the Republican Majority For Choice, Republicans For Choice, and The Wish List (Women in the Senate and House), a group of pro-choice women Republicans.

In July 2007, Murkowski stated she would sell back land she bought from Anchorage businessman Bob Penney, a day after a Washington watchdog group filed a Senate ethics complaint against her, alleging that Penney sold the property well below market value.[7] The Anchorage Daily News noted, "The transaction amounted to an illegal gift worth between $70,000 and $170,000, depending on how the property was valued, according to the complaint by the National Legal and Policy Center."[7] According to the Associated Press, Murkowski bought the land from two developers tied to the Ted Stevens probe.[8]

In 2008, Murkowski amended her Senate financial disclosures for 2004 through 2006, adding income of $60,000 per year from the sale of a property in 2003, and more than $40,000 a year from the sale of her "Alaska Pasta Company" in 2005.[9][10]

Committee assignments

Source: 2009 Congressional Record, Vol. 155, Page S730

Policy and issues

Murkowski is considered a moderate Republican. She is one of ten Republican Senators who refused to commit to Bill Frist's "nuclear option" to end judicial filibusters, and she supported H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which would have permitted the Secretary of Health and Human Services to support taxpayer-funded research on embryonic stem cells. Congress passed the bill, but President George W. Bush vetoed it.

Murkowski voted with Democrats and moderate Republicans on H.R. 976, which called for the expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to provide coverage for additional uninsured children.[11] That bill passed both the House and the Senate, but was vetoed by President Bush. She supports health care reforms in her native state as well, largely because health care costs for Alaskans are up to 70% higher than costs in the contiguous United States.

On abortion, Murkowski has a "mixed record" rating (50%) from the National Right to Life Committee, and a pro-life rating (14%) from the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL).[12]

On voting rights, Murkowski opposes bringing the DC Voting Rights Act to the floor.

On environmental issues, for 2003, the liberal watchdog group League of Conservation Voters rated Murkowski at 11% on environmental issues: "During her short time in the Senate," Murkowski, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power, "has thrown her support behind efforts to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)."[13] For the 109th Congress, Republicans for Environmental Protection, a group dedicated to environmental causes, issued Murkowski a rating of 2%, noting that in 2006 she voted:[14]

Most Democrats and some moderate Republicans oppose Arctic oil drilling because of concerns about environmental damage. Murkowski believes that recent technological developments make it possible to drill without incurring such damage.[15]

On December 14, 2007, the Senate passed an energy bill that, among other things, encourages the use of renewable fuels. The legislation, which Murkowski supported, raises the renewable fuels standard to require the production of 36 billion gallons of biofuels by 2022, compared to the current production of about 7 billion gallons a year.[16]

Most recently, Murkowski introduced a bill that would block the Environmental Protection Agency from limiting the amount of greenhouse gases that major industries can produce, effectively nullifying the EPA's authority to regulate gases that contribute to global climate change. In a statement, Murkowski said, "We cannot turn a blind eye to the EPA’s efforts to impose back-door climate regulations with no input from Congress."[17]

In the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Murkowski objected to unanimous consent on a bill that would have raised the liability cap for oil spills from $75 million to $10 billion. She reasoned that exposing companies to greater risk would make it impossible for smaller companies to compete.[18]

Electoral history

United States Senate election in Alaska, 2004[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Lisa Murkowski (Incumbent) 149,446 48.62
Democratic Tony Knowles 139,878 45.51
Independent Marc J. Millican 8,857 2.88
Alaskan Independence Jerry Sanders 3,765 1.22
Green Jim Sykes 3,039 0.99
Libertarian Scott A. Kohlhaas 1,237 0.40
Independent Ted Gianoutsos 726 0.24

2010 U.S. Senate primary

Murkowski faced the most difficult election of her career in the August 2010, Republican Party primary election against Joe Miller, a former U.S. magistrate judge[20] and a candidate supported by former Governor Sarah Palin.[21][22] The initial ballot count for the primary showed her trailing Miller by a margin of 51–49%, with absentee ballots yet to be tallied.[23] After the first round of absentee ballots were counted on August 31st, Murksowski conceded the race, stating that she did not believe that Miller's lead would be overcome in the next round of absentee vote count.[24][2]

Republican Primary results (438 of 438 precincts reporting)[25]
Party Candidate Votes Percentage
Republican Joe Miller 52,988 50.78%
Republican Lisa Murkowski (Incumbent) 51,358 49.22%
Totals 104,346 100%

See also


Footnotes

  1. ↑ Cockerham, Sean (2010-08-31). "It's another Tea Party win as Alaska's Murkowski concedes". Anchorage Daily News. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/08/31/99960/alaska-absentee-count-looks-like.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_term=news. Retrieved 2010-09-01. "Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski late Tuesday conceded the Republican primary election to Joe Miller, the Tea-Party backed challenger who maintained his Election Day lead after thousands of additional absentee and other ballots were counted through the day." 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Joling, Dan (August 31, 2010). "Murkowski Concedes Alaska Primary Race". WBBM-TV. http://cbs2chicago.com/wireapnational/Murkowski.concedes.Alaska.2.1888296.html. 
  3. ↑ "murkowski". Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~battle/senators/murkowski.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
  4. ↑ "Notable Pi Beta Phis in Government and Politics". Pi Beta Phi. http://www.pibetaphi.org/pibetaphi/aboutus.aspx?id=172. Retrieved 2008-12-12. 
  5. ↑ McCormack, John (2010-08-25). "Who Is Joe Miller?". Weekly Standard. http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/who-joe-miller. Retrieved 2010-09-05. 
  6. ↑ Weigel, David. "Right Now - Murkowski challenger hints at Palin endorsement". Voices.washingtonpost.com. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-now/2010/04/challenger_to_sen_murkowski_hi.html. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Murkowski to sell back Kenai property". Anchorage Daily News. July 26, 2007. http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/9165107p-9081594c.html. Retrieved 2007-07-27. 
  8. ↑ "Stevens' aide said to testify in probe". Baltimore Sun. August 1, 2007. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.stevens01aug01,0,5666124.story. Retrieved 2007-08-21. 
  9. ↑ Kate Klonick, "Murkowski Reveals Two More Murky Deals in Financial Disclosure Amendments", TalkingPointsMemo, June 17, 2008
  10. ↑ Lisa Murkowski Exposed In Kenai River Land Scam, Alaska Report, July 20, 2007
  11. ↑ "110th Congress, 1st session, Senate vote 307 | Congressional votes database | washingtonpost.com". Projects.washingtonpost.com. 2007-08-02. http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/110/senate/1/votes/307/. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
  12. ↑ "Lisa Murkowski on Abortion". Ontheissues.org. http://www.ontheissues.org/Social/Lisa_Murkowski_Abortion.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
  13. ↑ "League of Conservation Voters". Lcv.org. http://www.lcv.org/president-and-congress/senate/senate-energy-and-natural-resources-committee-water-and-power-subcommittee.html. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
  14. ↑ "Republicans for Environmental Protection 2006 Scorecard". Rep.org. http://www.rep.org/scorecard.html. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
  15. ↑ "United States Senator Lisa Murkowski". Murkowski.senate.gov. http://murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=IssueStatements.View&Issue_id=8160a71d-9c6e-945. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
  16. ↑ "United States Senator Lisa Murkowski". Murkowski.senate.gov. http://murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=1282b02e-d425-4ebf-b2cd-c1b6285fb926&Region_id=&Issue_id=. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
  17. ↑ "Colorado companies blast Murkowski’s bid to block EPA on greenhouse gases". Coloradoindependent.com. http://coloradoindependent.com/48468/colorado-companies-blast-murkowskis-bid-to-block-epa-on-greenhouse-gases. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
  18. ↑ Clark, Lesley. "Alaska's Murkowski blocks Senate on higher oil spill liability". Miamiherald.com. http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/13/1628188/alaskas-murkowski-blocks-senate.html. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
  19. ↑ GEMS ELECTION RESULTS
  20. ↑ http://joemiller.us/
  21. ↑ Bohrer, Becky (2010-08-24). "Murkowski in close contest for Alaska Senate". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/25/AR2010082500670.html. Retrieved 2010-08-25. "Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski trailed her lesser-known conservative opponent Tuesday in a surprisingly tight race that was seen as a test of the political power of Sarah Palin and the tea party movement." 
  22. ↑ Cave, Damien (2010-08-25). "Murkowski of Alaska Locked in a Tight Senate Race". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/us/politics/26primaries.html. Retrieved 2010-08-25. "Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, whose family has held a decades-long grip on one of the state’s two Senate seats, was in a surprisingly tight race Wednesday morning against an insurgent candidate, a Tea Party favorite who received the backing of Sarah Palin." 
  23. ↑ "State of Alaska 2010 Primary Election, August 24, 2010 Unofficial Results". Alaska Secretary of State. 2010-08-25. http://www.elections.alaska.gov/results/10PRIM/data/results.htm. Retrieved 2010-08-25. 
  24. ↑ Cockerham, Sean (2010-08-31). "It's another Tea Party win as Alaska's Murkowski concedes". Anchorage Daily News. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/08/31/99960/alaska-absentee-count-looks-like.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_term=news. Retrieved 2010-09-01. "Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski late Tuesday conceded the Republican primary election to Joe Miller, the Tea-Party backed challenger who maintained his Election Day lead after thousands of additional absentee and other ballots were counted through the day." 
  25. ↑ "State of Alaska 2010 Primary Election, August 24, 2010, Unofficial Results". Alaska Secretary of State. 2010-08-31. http://www.elections.alaska.gov/results/10PRIM/data/results.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-01. 

External links

United States Senate
Preceded by
Frank Murkowski		 United States Senator (Class 3) from Alaska
December 20, 2002 – present
Served alongside: Ted Stevens, Mark Begich		 Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Frank Murkowski		 Republican Party nominee for United States Senator from Alaska
(Class 3)
2004		 Succeeded by
Joe Miller
Preceded by
John Thune		 Vice-Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference
2009 – present		 Incumbent
United States order of precedence
Preceded by
Ben Nelson
D-Nebraska		 United States Senators by seniority
58th		 Succeeded by
Frank Lautenberg
D-New Jersey
Alaska's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Lisa Murkowski (R), Mark Begich (D)
Representative
Don Young (R)
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United States Senators from Alaska
Class 2: Bartlett • Stevens • Begich
Class 3: Gruening • Gravel • F. Murkowski • L. Murkowski
 United States Senate
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Chairpersons (Democratic) Ranking Members (Republican)

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AL: Shelby (R), Sessions (R)
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Democratic (56) • Republican (42) • Independent (2)
Current statewide political officials of Alaska
U.S. Senators
Lisa Murkowski (R) · Mark Begich (D)
 Great seal of Alaska
U.S. Representative
Don Young (R), Representative At-Large
State government
Sean Parnell (R), Governor · Mead Treadwell (R), Lieutenant Governor
State Senate
Gary Stevens, President · Johnny Ellis, Majority Leader · Con Bunde, Minority Leader
State House
Mike Chenault, Speaker · Kyle Johansen, Majority Leader · Beth Kerttula, Minority Leader
Supreme Court
Walter L. Carpeneti, Chief Justice · Morgan Christen · Craig Stowers · Dana Fabe · Daniel E. Winfree