Lisa Murkowski, the Republican senator from Alaska, backed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for governor this week. She passed over Trump-backed Bernadette Wilson in a four-way race that uses ranked-choice voting, NBC News and Fox News report. Alaska Public Media and the Juneau Independent also covered the news.

Murkowski said in a campaign note, "Our future is too important to be hamstrung by partisan divisions." She called Kreiss-Tomkins a "common-sense guy" who can work with others. She asked voters of every party to look at him and running mate Zac Johnson. In a talk with NBC station KTUU, she said the three Republicans on the ballot are too locked into party fights. Alaska needs a governor who will work with lawmakers, she said.

Kreiss-Tomkins is a former Sitka state lawmaker. He said he was honored by her support. He vowed to work with Congress and the statehouse. He faces Wilson, whom President Donald Trump backed this month, former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, and former state Attorney General Treg Taylor. Term-limited Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy is leaving office.

Wilson rejected Murkowski's nod in a note carried by NBC News. She said Murkowski "abandoned Alaska values" and called Kreiss-Tomkins "Just Keep Taxing" JKT. The Juneau Independent reported that three former governors also backed him: Republican Frank Murkowski, Democrat Tony Knowles, and independent Bill Walker. HuffPost cited a September 2026 New York Times/Siena poll putting Kreiss-Tomkins at 40 percent, Wilson at 20 percent, Bronson at 15 percent, and Taylor at 11 percent. The NBC News Decision Desk rates the race as leaning Democratic.

What we know: Murkowski backed Kreiss-Tomkins over Trump-backed Wilson before the November 3 ranked-choice election.
What we don't: How much the late nod moves ranked-choice ballots, and whether any Republican drops out before Election Day.