Lisa Murkowski

Lisa Ann Murkowski (born May 22, 1957) is a Polish-American politician. A Republican, she is currently the junior United States Senator from Alaska.

Related Topics:
May 22 - 1957 - Polish - American - Republican - United States Senator - Alaska

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Born in Ketchikan, Alaska, Murkowski earned a B.A. in economics from Georgetown University in 1980, and a J.D. from Willamette University College of Law in 1985.

Related Topics:
Ketchikan, Alaska - B.A. - Economics - Georgetown University - 1980 - J.D. - Willamette University - 1985

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She was an attorney in Anchorage, Alaska from 1985 to 1998. She also served, from 1990 to 1991, on the mayor's task force on the homeless.

Related Topics:
Anchorage, Alaska - 1985 - 1998 - 1990 - 1991

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1998, she was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives and had been elected the House Majority Leader for the 2003-2004 session, but she resigned from the House in December 2002, when she was appointed by her father, Governor Frank Murkowski, to his own unexpired senate seat because he had been elected governor.

Related Topics:
1998 - Alaska House of Representatives - 2003 - 2004 - December 2002 - Governor - Frank Murkowski

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She was elected to a full six-year term against former Governor Tony Knowles in the 2004 election, after facing a primary challenge due to charges of nepotism. It is likely that the circumstances of her appointment reduced her margin of victory, but they were apparently insufficient to overcome the Republican majority of Alaska. Near the end of the campaign, senior senator Ted Stevens shot campaign ads for Murkowski and warned the public that if a Democrat replaced Murkowski they were likely to receive fewer federal dollars.

Related Topics:
Tony Knowles - 2004 election - Nepotism - Ted Stevens

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Murkowski is known to be fairly moderate, and is one of ten Republican Senators who have refused to commit to Bill Frist's nuclear option to end judicial filibusters. Murkowski is one of a shrinking number of pro-choice Senate Republicans, but her voting record on abortion matters is mixed. She supports drilling for oil in ANWR, whereas most other moderate Republicans do not.

Related Topics:
Bill Frist - Nuclear option - Pro-choice - ANWR

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~