A Cyngal poll published on Monday found that anti-Trump Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is not faring well on favorability in her home state.
Kelly Tshibaka, the Alaska Republican Commissioner of Administration and Murkowski’s primary challenger, scored highest in a ballot test with 33.6 percent. Murkowski came in third with almost 19 percent, losing second place to the 21 percent of respondents who are “undecided.” Almost 18 percent backed the Democratic challenger Al Gross.
Murkowski’s favorability rate, according to the poll, is 33 percent. Among Republicans alone, that rate sinks to 10 percent. Tshibaka scored a 61 percent approval rating among both Trump supporters and Republicans as a whole.
Murkowski’s decision to convict then-President Donald Trump at the second impeachment trial has not helped her re-election chances. Accordingly, 78 percent of respondents said her decision made them less likely to vote for her.
On March 29, Tshibaka announced in a video she is running to unseat Murkowski. “We know what Washington D.C. thinks about Alaska: We’re here for their benefit, and we won’t put up much of a fight. After nearly 20 years in D.C., Lisa Murkowski thinks the same way,” Tshibaka said.
“I’m running for the Alaskans who believe government is of the people, by the people, and for the people,” Tshibaka continued. “The D.C. insiders need to be held accountable to us.”
https://twitter.com/KellyForAlaska/status/1376575916088918019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1376575916088918019%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthefdrlst.wpengine.com%2F2021%2F03%2F29%2Falaska-sen-lisa-murkowski-draws-first-major-primary-challenger%2F
Murkowski has drawn sharp criticism from Republicans over her wavering on whether she would confirm Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Comey Barrett. The Alaska senator reversed course after claiming Comey Barrett was being nominated too close to an election and ended up voting “yes” for the justice. In 2018, Murkowski opposed the nomination and confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The Republican Party voted to censure Murkowski in March over her vote to impeach Trump. The resolution also targeted the senator’s support of the Affordable Care Act, her voting record to allow more abortion access, and her decision to confirm President Joe Biden’s selection to lead the Department of the Interior, New Mexico Rep. Deb Haaland.
A) On Fox, Kelly Tshibaka, who is challenging Murkowski for GOP Senate nomination: Lisa Murkowski has forgotten her Alaska values she’s become more like the DC insiders than us. She’s been voting with the liberal ones and not standing up to the radical Biden agenda
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) March 30, 2021
The poll also found that Murkowski, who has served in the Senate for 20 years, was -39 net-less likely to earn votes due to her seniority. Murkowski’s immigration stance also hurt her, as the poll found a net -31 less likely voters due to her voting to allow illegal immigrants who violated federal law to remain in the U.S. In 2017, the senator notably voted in support of the DREAM Act to provide amnesty to an estimated 3 million illegal immigrants.
