Lisa Murkowski facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lisa Murkowski
Official portrait, 2017
Chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Brian Schatz
Vice Chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee
In office February 3, 2021 – January 3, 2025
Preceded by	Tom Udall
Succeeded by	Brian Schatz
In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009
Preceded by	Byron Dorgan
Succeeded by	John Barrasso
Chair of the Senate Energy Committee
In office January 3, 2015 – February 3, 2021
Preceded by	Mary Landrieu
Succeeded by	Joe Manchin
Ranking Member of the Senate Energy Committee
In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Pete Domenici
Succeeded by	Maria Cantwell
Vice Chair of the Senate Republican Conference
In office June 17, 2009 – September 17, 2010
Leader	Mitch McConnell
Preceded by	John Thune
Succeeded by	John Barrasso
United States Senator from Alaska
Incumbent
Assumed office December 20, 2002 Serving with Dan Sullivan
Preceded by	Frank Murkowski
Member of the Alaska House of Representatives from the 14th district
In office January 19, 1999 – December 20, 2002
Preceded by	Terry Martin
Succeeded by	Vic Kohring
Personal details
Born	Lisa Ann Murkowski (1957-05-22) May 22, 1957 (age 68) Ketchikan, Alaska Territory, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Verne Martell ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	2
Relatives	Frank Murkowski (father)
Education	Georgetown University (BA) Willamette University (JD)
Signature

Lisa Ann Murkowski (born May 22, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician. She is a United States senator for Alaska and has held this position since 2002. She was the first woman to represent Alaska in the Senate. She is also one of the most experienced Republican women in the Senate.

Lisa Murkowski is the daughter of Frank Murkowski, who was also a U.S. Senator and later the governor of Alaska. Her father chose her to fill his Senate seat when he became governor in 2002. Before becoming a senator, she was a member of the Alaska House of Representatives from 1999. Murkowski has won several elections to keep her Senate seat. She is known for being a moderate Republican and often plays a key role in important votes.

Early Life and Education

Lisa Murkowski was born in Ketchikan, which was then the Alaska Territory. Her parents are Nancy Rena Gore and Frank Murkowski. Her family moved around Alaska because of her father's job as a banker.

She studied economics at Georgetown University and earned a bachelor's degree in 1980. This was the same year her father was elected to the U.S. Senate. Later, she earned a law degree from Willamette University College of Law in 1985. She worked as a lawyer in Anchorage from 1987 to 1998.

Starting in Politics: Alaska House

In 1998, Murkowski was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives. She represented a district that included parts of Anchorage and nearby areas. She was reelected in 2000 and 2002.

In 2002, she was chosen to be the House Majority Leader. However, she resigned from this role before starting, because her father appointed her to the U.S. Senate.

Becoming a U.S. Senator

How She Became Senator

In December 2002, Lisa Murkowski's father, Governor Frank Murkowski, appointed her to fill his old U.S. Senate seat. He had left the Senate after being elected governor. This appointment caused some debate in Alaska because it looked like nepotism (giving a job to a family member). Because of this, Alaska later changed its laws so that governors could no longer directly appoint replacement senators. Murkowski officially became a senator on January 7, 2003.

Winning Elections

Murkowski in 2005

Lisa Murkowski has faced tough elections but has never lost a general election. She has won four full terms as a U.S. Senator.

2004 Election: A Close Race

In 2004, Murkowski ran for a full Senate term. She faced former Governor Tony Knowles. Many people thought she might lose because of how she was first appointed. However, with strong support, she won by a small number of votes.

2010 Election: A Write-in Win

In 2010, Murkowski lost the Republican primary election to Joe Miller. He was a candidate supported by former Governor Sarah Palin. After losing the primary, Murkowski decided to run as a write-in candidate in the general election. This means voters had to write her name on the ballot.

Her campaign received a lot of support and money from teachers' unions, firefighters' unions, and Native organizations. On November 17, 2010, it was announced that Murkowski had won. She became only the second person in U.S. history to win a Senate election as a write-in candidate.

2016 and 2022 Elections

Murkowski was reelected to the Senate in 2016. She won the Republican nomination easily. In the general election, she again faced Joe Miller, who was running as a Libertarian candidate this time. Murkowski won that election as well.

In 2017, she announced she would run for a fourth term in 2022. Former President Donald Trump said he would support anyone who ran against her. This was because she had disagreed with some of his ideas. Despite this, she won reelection in 2022. She won using Alaska's new ranked-choice voting system.

What She Does as a Senator

Her Political Views

Lisa Murkowski is seen as a moderate Republican. This means she often takes positions that are in the middle, rather than strictly conservative or liberal. She sometimes votes with Democrats on certain issues. For example, she voted with President Barack Obama often in 2013. She has also voted with President Joe Biden on many occasions. She is known for working with members of both parties.

Important Votes and Decisions

Murkowski has taken part in many important votes in the Senate.

• In 2018, she opposed the Supreme Court nomination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
• In 2022, she voted to confirm Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. Only two other Republicans joined her in this vote.
• She has spoken about climate change. She believes in finding reasonable solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• During the second impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in 2021, she was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict him. She said Trump should resign after the Capitol attack.
• She voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which was a large spending bill.
• She supports the Equal Rights Amendment, which aims to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex.
• In 2022, she voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which protects marriage equality.
• She supports the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska.

Murkowski has said that if the Republican Party becomes "nothing more than the party of Trump," she would question if it's the right party for her. However, she has also said she has no desire to join the Democratic Party. She sees herself as "independently minded."

Committees and Groups She Joins

As a U.S. Senator, Lisa Murkowski serves on several important committees and groups:

• Committee on Appropriations: This committee decides how the government spends money.
• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: She used to chair this committee. It deals with energy, public lands, and natural resources.
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: This committee works on laws about health, education, and jobs.
• Committee on Indian Affairs: She is currently the Chair of this committee, which focuses on issues affecting Native American communities.

She is also part of several caucuses (groups of lawmakers who share interests), including:

• Senate Oceans Caucus (co-chairwoman)
• Senate Arctic Caucus (chairwoman)
• Congressional Coalition on Adoption

Her Family Life

Lisa Murkowski is married to Verne Martell. They have two sons named Nicolas and Matthew. She is Roman Catholic. Her sister, Carol, is married to the son of a former state senator.

Images for kids

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  Lisa Murkowski's signature

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  Murkowski and Verne Martell with Jeff King during the ceremonial start of the 2019 Iditarod.

In Spanish: Lisa Murkowski para niños