Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said this week that she has considered joining the Senate Democratic caucus but ultimately decided against it, citing deep frustrations with both parties and a continued, if uneasy, alignment with Republican values.
In a June 23 interview with Semafor and a June 24 appearance on the GD Politics podcast, Murkowski said the idea of switching caucuses has come up “because people have asked,” but emphasized that despite not always feeling at home in the GOP, her views still “more closely align with” Republicans than Democrats.
Her remarks come as she weighs a high-stakes vote on a Republican tax and spending bill endorsed by President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly clashed with Murkowski over the years. Trump has criticized her votes against his agenda, including her opposition to repealing the Affordable Care Act and her refusal to support the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. In 2022, he backed her Republican primary challenger, Kelly Tshibaka, in an unsuccessful attempt to oust her from the Senate….
Murkowski Reveals Why She Didn’t Switch Her Affiliation to Democrat
