Lisa Murkowski facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lisa Murkowski
Official portrait, 2017
United States Senator from Alaska
Incumbent
Assumed office December 20, 2002 Serving with Dan Sullivan
Preceded by	Frank Murkowski
Senate positions 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
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
Website

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 a U.S. senator and later the governor of Alaska. Her father appointed her to his Senate seat in December 2002 when he became governor. Before this, she was a member of the Alaska House of Representatives starting in 1999. She won a full Senate term in 2004. In 2010, after losing the Republican primary, she ran as a write-in candidate and won the general election. She was reelected in 2016 and again in 2022.

Senator Murkowski is known as a moderate Republican and often acts as a "swing vote" in the Senate. This means her vote can sometimes decide if a bill passes or not. She has held important roles, including chairing the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and serving as vice chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.

Early Life and Education

Lisa Murkowski was born in Ketchikan, which was then the Alaska Territory. Her parents are Nancy Rena 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 her bachelor's degree in 1980. Later, she earned a law degree (J.D.) from Willamette University College of Law in 1985. After law school, she worked as an attorney in Anchorage from 1987 to 1998.

Serving in the Alaska House of Representatives

In 1998, Lisa Murkowski was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives. This is part of Alaska's state government, similar to the U.S. House of Representatives but for the state. She represented District 18, which included parts of Anchorage and nearby areas.

In 1999, she helped create a committee focused on armed services. She was reelected in 2000 and 2002. In 2002, she won a close primary election. She was chosen to be the House Majority Leader for the 2003–04 legislative session. However, she resigned from her state House seat before taking that role because her father appointed her to the U.S. Senate.

Becoming a U.S. Senator

Appointment to the Senate

In December 2002, Lisa Murkowski's father, Frank Murkowski, became the Governor of Alaska. He had to leave his U.S. Senate seat, and he chose to appoint his daughter, Lisa, to fill it. This decision caused some debate in Alaska. Because of this, a new rule was later put in place that changed how governors could appoint new senators. Lisa Murkowski officially became a U.S. Senator on January 7, 2003.

Senate Elections and Campaigns

Murkowski in 2005

Senator Murkowski has faced several tough elections but has always won the general election. She has won four full terms in the Senate.

2004 Election

In 2004, Murkowski ran for her first full Senate term against former Governor Tony Knowles. Her appointment by her father made the race very close. Senator Ted Stevens helped her campaign, saying that Alaska might get less money from the federal government if a Democrat won. Murkowski won the election by about 9,300 votes.

2010 Election and Write-in Campaign

The 2010 election was very challenging for Murkowski. She lost the Republican primary election to Joe Miller, who was 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 from unions and Native organizations. On November 17, 2010, she made history by becoming only the second U.S. Senate candidate ever to win a write-in campaign. Joe Miller tried to challenge the results in court, but his case was dismissed, and Murkowski was certified as the winner.

2016 Election

In 2016, Murkowski was reelected to the Senate. She won the Republican nomination easily. Her main opponent in the general election was again Joe Miller, who ran as the Libertarian Party candidate this time.

2022 Election

In 2017, Murkowski announced she would run for a fourth term in 2022. Former President Donald Trump said he would support a Republican challenger against her because she had disagreed with some of his policies. In February 2021, Murkowski was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial. After this vote, the Alaska Republican Party criticized her.

Despite this, Senator Murkowski won reelection in 2022. She defeated her main challenger, Kelly Tshibaka, in Alaska's new ranked-choice voting system. She received 53.7% of the vote after all the votes were counted.

Political Views and Actions

Lisa Murkowski is seen as a moderate Republican. This means her political views are often in the middle, not extremely conservative or extremely liberal. She is known for working with members of both parties.

In 2018, she did not support the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States. However, in 2022, she voted to confirm Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, joining only two other Republicans in that vote.

Murkowski has spoken about climate change. In 2019, she wrote that Congress should find "reasonable policies" to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

During the first impeachment trial of Donald Trump, Murkowski said Trump's actions were "shameful and wrong" but voted against convicting him. After the January 6 United States Capitol attack in 2021, she said Trump should resign for encouraging the event. She was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial in February 2021.

In 2021, when asked if she would remain a Republican, Murkowski said she would question staying in the party "if the Republican Party has become nothing more than the party of Trump." However, she also said she had no desire to join the Democratic Party. In 2024, she described herself as "independently minded" and "not attached to a label," but confirmed she would remain a registered Republican.

Since Donald Trump became president again in 2025, Murkowski has often voted in line with his administration's positions on major Senate votes.

Senate Committee Assignments

As of 2025, Senator Murkowski serves on several important committees:

• Committee on Appropriations (This committee decides how the government spends money.)
• Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (She is involved in decisions about energy and natural resources, like national parks and mining.)
  • Subcommittee on National Parks
  • Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining
• Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (This committee works on issues related to health, education, and jobs.)
  • Subcommittee on Education and the American Family
  • Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security
• Committee on Indian Affairs (She is the Chair of this committee, which focuses on issues affecting Native American communities.)

Caucus Memberships

Senator Murkowski is also part of several groups in the Senate called caucuses:

• Senate Oceans Caucus (co-chairwoman)
• Senate Cultural Caucus
• Afterschool Caucuses
• Senate Republican Conference
• Senate Arctic Caucus (chairwoman)
• Congressional Coalition on Adoption

Personal Life

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

Lisa Murkowski is married to Verne Martell. They have two sons, Nicolas and Matthew. She is a Roman Catholic.

Images for kids

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  Murkowski with President Donald Trump, Susie Wiles, and fellow female Republican senators, January 2025

See also

In Spanish: Lisa Murkowski para niños