Alaska Candidate Slams Sen. Murkowski for Endorsing Democrat

Alaska Republican gubernatorial candidate Bernadette Wilson expressed no surprise Tuesday that Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, crossed party lines to endorse her Democratic opponent, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins. Wilson told Fox News Digital that the endorsement reflects shared views on taxation and Alaska's oil industry between Murkowski and Kreiss-Tomkins.

"It should not surprise anyone. They're two peas in a pod, and I can tell you that as governor," Wilson stated. She characterized Kreiss-Tomkins' economic proposals, which include potential tax increases and changes to the oil industry, as aligning with Murkowski's positions. Wilson accused both politicians of supporting what she described as "socialist policies."

At a candidate forum hosted by the Alaska Oil and Gas Association in August, Kreiss-Tomkins indicated that "broad-based tax and revenues of that nature are likely going to be necessary to balance our budget." Wilson has previously criticized Murkowski, stating in 2010 that the senator subscribes to "extreme liberal socialist policies."

Murkowski's endorsement of Kreiss-Tomkins came shortly after President Donald Trump endorsed Wilson on Oct. 13. Trump had previously criticized Murkowski, stating in January that she "should never be elected to office again" after she joined Senate Democrats in voting in favor of a War Powers Resolution that could have limited the president's ability to take military action against Iran.

In a July op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Murkowski wrote that the SAVE America Act, a legislative priority supported by Trump that would impose additional proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration, "would impose costly new barriers and prevent some, perhaps many, from voting." Murkowski also opposed other Trump-backed legislative priorities during the 119th Congress.

Wilson, who is also a former state representative, has pledged to continue criticizing Murkowski if elected governor, referring to her as a "so-called Republican senator" whose political positions are "absolutely terrible."

Murkowski and Kreiss-Tomkins did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.