Former President Trump endorsed former Alaska state official Kelly Tshibaka on Friday in her Senate bid against Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who voted to convict Mr. Trump in his second impeachment trial.
Mr. Trump said Ms. Tshibaka “is the candidate who can beat Murkowski — and she will.”
“I look forward to campaigning in Alaska for Kelly Tshibaka,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. “She has my complete and total endorsement!”
Ms. Tshibaka, a Republican, is a former Alaska Department of Administration commissioner. She also has worked in the offices of the Inspector General for the U.S. Postal Service, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice.
Mr. Trump, who has been telegraphing his intention to help defeat Ms. Murkowski since her vote on impeachment, called her “bad for Alaska.”
“Her vote to confirm Biden’s Interior Secretary [Deb Haaland] was a vote to kill long sought for, and approved, ANWR, and Alaska jobs,” he stated, referring to oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. “Murkowski has got to go!”
The Alaska Republican Party censured Ms. Murkowsk in a resolution after the impeachment vote, also citing her support of Ms. Haaland.
In 2022, Alaska will use a new election system in which candidates run in a nonpartisan primary and the top four finishers advance to the general election. Voters will then rank their preferences, a format that is believed might help Ms. Murkowski, who has held the office since 2002.
The former president said Ms. Tshibaka “is a fighter who stands for Alaska values and America First.”
“She is MAGA all the way, pro-energy, strong on the border, tough on crime and totally supports our military and our great vets,” he said. “Kelly is a powerful supporter of the Second Amendment and JOBS!”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.