Republican announces run for Murkowski’s Alaska Senate seat
FILE - In this Sept. 26, 2019 fle photo, Alaska Department of Administration Commissioner Kelly Tshibaka addresses reporters in Anchorage, Alaska. Tshibaka announced plans on Monday, March 29, 2021, to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a fellow Republican, in the 2022 election. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)JUNEAU, Alaska – An early Republican candidate announced plans Monday to seek the Alaska U.S. Senate seat that has been held since 2002 by Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Kelly Tshibaka, who has led the Alaska Department of Administration since early 2019, in a statement said she is running "for the Alaskans who believe government is of the people, by the people and for the people. Earlier this month, state Republican Party leaders voted to censure Murkowski over that vote, with party leaders in some other states taking similar actions against Republicans who voted as she did.