Conservatives celebrated on Thursday as the Senate voted 52-45 to confirm Harmeet Dhillon to a top Justice Department position.
Dhillon, a conservative lawyer who fought Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate, will now become the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ. She was confirmed in a mostly partisan vote, with one Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voting alongside Democrats against Dhillon’s confirmation.
Throughout her legal career, Dhillon has fought for free speech, religious liberty, and defended President Donald Trump when a group of leftist voters attempted to throw him off the ballot in Colorado during the 2024 election.
“I’m extremely honored by President Trump’s nomination to assist with our nation’s civil rights agenda. It has been my dream to be able to serve our great country, and I am so excited to be part of an incredible team of lawyers led by [Attorney General Pam Bondi]. I cannot wait to get to work!” Dhillon said after she was first nominated by Trump. “I would not be here today without my amazing mother and brother’s support, and my beloved father Tejpal and husband Sarv, who did not live to see this day. I hope I will honor their memories, with God’s grace.”
Conservatives celebrated Dhillon’s confirmation, saying that she was a welcome addition to the DOJ.
“Congrats to my former lawyer [Harmeet Dhillon] on her confirmation as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights,” conservative activist Robby Starbuck <a href="https://x.com/robbystarbuck/status/1907922482050617740" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X. “No one will fight harder to ensure that EVERY American has their civil rights protected. A fearless champion for justice!”
The Dhillon Law Group, which was founded by Dhillon, posted a video featuring Daily Wire host Ben Shapiro and others congratulating her after the Senate vote wrapped up. 
“Hey Harmeet, I just want to say thank you so much for all the work you’ve done with Daily Wire to preserve free speech and free access to work and all the rest of the things that you’ve helped us with,” Shapiro said. “I can’t wait to see what you do at the DOJ. They put you in literally the perfect position to kick ass.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BIG CONGRATULATIONS from all of us at the Dhillon Law Group to our founder and FORMER managing partner, <a href="https://twitter.com/HarmeetKDhillon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarmeetKDhillon</a> on her confirmation today as the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. You’re going to do great things! <a href="https://t.co/wuBHIe9aBg">pic.twitter.com/wuBHIe9aBg</a>
&mdash; Dhillon Law Group (@dhillonlaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/dhillonlaw/status/1907921768565833761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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One of Dhillon&#8217;s best-known cases was when she <a href="https://www.dhillonlaw.com/lawsuits/the-daily-wire-challenges-biden-administration-vaccine-mandate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">represented</a> The Daily Wire in the legal fight that led to the Supreme Court blocking the Biden administration from enforcing a COVID vaccine mandate for private employers. With Dhillon’s help, The Daily Wire became the first major company to file a lawsuit against the emergency mandate in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.

US-POLITICS-REPUBLICANS-RNC

Conservatives Cheer As Harmeet Dhillon Confirmed To Key Justice Department Role

Civil Rights

Department of Justice

Executive

Harmeet Dhillon

Lisa Murkowski

Politics

Senate

Vaccine Mandate

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced on Thursday that she would oppose the nomination of President Donald Trump&#8217;s nominee for Secretary of Defense, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pete-hegseth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pete Hegseth</a>.
Murkowski, who finds herself at odds with large portions of the Republican base on occasion, said she made her decision after she &#8220;met with him and carefully reviewed his writings, various reports, and other pertinent materials.&#8221;
&#8220;I closely followed his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee and gathered substantial feedback from organizations, veterans, and Alaskans,&#8221; she said. &#8220;After thorough evaluation, I must conclude that I cannot in good conscience support his nomination for Secretary of Defense. I did not make this decision lightly; I take my constitutional responsibility to provide advice and consent with the utmost seriousness.&#8221;
She praised Hegseth&#8217;s service in the U.S. military, but said that it did not &#8220;alleviate&#8221; her &#8220;significant concerns regarding his nomination.&#8221;
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Murkowski said she had concerns about his ability to navigate through &#8220;one of the most complex and powerful organizations in the world&#8221; due to its enormous size at more than 3 million employees.
She continued:
<blockquote>Although he has recently revised his statements on women in combat since being nominated, I remain concerned about the message that confirming Mr. Hegseth sends to women currently serving and those aspiring to join. Women have served our nation with distinction, overcoming immense obstacles to excel in combat and leadership roles, and they deserve to know that their leader honors and values their commitment to our nation.
While the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking do nothing to quiet my concerns, the past behaviors Mr. Hegseth has admitted to, including infidelity on multiple occasions, demonstrate a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces. These behaviors starkly contrast the values and discipline expected of servicemembers. Men and women in uniform are held accountable for such actions, and they deserve leaders who uphold these same standards.</blockquote>
She believes that Hegseth&#8217;s nomination &#8220;poses significant concerns that I cannot overlook&#8221; given the current threat environment that the U.S. faces.
Murkowski faced backlash online immediately following the announcement, including widespread calls to face a primary challenger.
While Hegseth has owned up to some of his past behavior, he has vigorously denied allegations from unnamed sources who have accused him of sexual misconduct and having drinking problems.

First Republican Senator Comes Out Against Hegseth Nomination

Congress

Donald Trump

Pete Hegseth

On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> Republicans blocked a Democrat bill that sought to codify the right to access <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/contraception" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contraception</a> in federal law, with many arguing that it would infringe on religious and parental rights.
Fifty-one members, including two Republicans, <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00190.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> to advance the legislation — an insufficient number to reach the three-fifths majority needed to break the filibuster. Thirty-eight Republicans voted against moving forward. Nine other GOP members and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-senator-bob-menendez-to-change-party-status-amid-his-corruption-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)</a> did not vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://x.com/CraigCaplan/status/1798457646502261075" target="_blank" rel="noopener">switched</a> his vote to &#8220;Nay,&#8221; a move that allowed him to file a <a href="https://x.com/SenateCloakroom/status/1798455388783964209" target="_blank" rel="noopener">motion to reconsider</a> the failed cloture vote at some point in the future. He has set up a vote next week for an IVF bill with a <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/transcript-majority-leader-chuck-schumer-delivers-remarks-at-press-conference-with-senate-democrats-after-senate-republicans-blocked-the-right-to-contraception-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated goal</a> of putting Republicans on the record on reproductive rights.
<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/4381/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The contraception bill</a>, introduced by Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), would &#8220;protect an individual’s ability to access contraceptives and to engage in contraception and to protect a health care provider’s ability to provide contraceptives, contraception, and information related to contraception.&#8221;
Democrat lawmakers are pressing the birth control debate in a presidential election year. They argue Markey&#8217;s legislation is necessary because the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade — a ruling that returned the issue of abortion access to the states — also <a href="https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/markey-hirono-duckworth-statement-on-the-right-to-contraception-act-floor-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;threatened&#8221;</a> contraception.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rick-scott-joins-race-for-senate-gop-leader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">running</a> to become the next leader of the Senate GOP, led 21 of his Republican colleagues in a <a href="https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/2024/6/sen-rick-scott-leads-colleagues-in-slamming-democrats-attacks-on-religious-freedoms-parental-rights-political-games-on-contraception" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> that disparaged the contraception bill. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), considered a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-campaign-requests-documents-from-some-vp-contenders-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contender</a> for former President Donald Trump&#8217;s running mate in the 2024 election, was among them.
&#8220;There is no threat to access to contraception, which is legal in every state and required by law to be offered at no cost by health insurers, and it&#8217;s disgusting that Democrats are fearmongering on this important issue to score cheap political points,&#8221; the GOP lawmakers said.
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&#8220;This bill infringes on the parental rights and religious liberties of some Americans and lets the federal government force religious institutions and schools, even public elementary schools, to offer contraception like condoms to little kids,&#8221; they added. &#8220;It’s just another way for Democrats to use activist attorneys and our courts to advance their radical agenda and that is why we oppose this bill.&#8221;
The pair of GOP lawmakers who joined with the majority of Democrats and the independents who caucus with them voting to advance the legislation included Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
&#8220;This is not a perfect bill,&#8221; Murkowski <a href="https://x.com/lisamurkowski/status/1798457352930357587" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a video posted to X. &#8220;This isn&#8217;t a bill that has gone through committee. Leader Schumer has decided that he&#8217;s just going to put it on the floor to move to it. That&#8217;s a lousy process, actually. This is unfortunately yet another messaging bill &#8230; but if it is going to be a messaging bill, I want my message to be very clear: that a woman should have a right to contraception.&#8221;

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and other senators Speak To The Press After The “Right To Contraception Act” Failed Passage

Senate Republicans Block Dem Contraception Bill

Abortion

Birth Control

Chuck Schumer

Contraception

Ed Markey

Marco Rubio

Rick Scott

Senate Democrats

Susan Collins

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

A fanatical environmentalist group claimed it wrecked a gala at which Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski was to be honored by a major oil company and called her a “murderer” and an “ecocidal pyromaniac.”
A video posted by the group Climate Defiance, a self-proclaimed “youth-led group using direct action to resist fossil fuels,” showed people storming a stage and tussling with other participants at the event.
“We just shut down a gala honoring U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski,” the group tweeted. “Murkowski is a murderer. She incinerates us to enrich her cronies. As Chevron&#8217;s top lobbyist gave her an award, we stepped in and stopped the ceremony. Respect us or expect us.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: We just shut down a gala honoring U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski. Murkowski is a murderer. She incinerates us to enrich her cronies. As Chevron&#39;s top lobbyist gave her an award, we stepped in and stopped the ceremony. Respect us or expect us. 🧵 <a href="https://t.co/Q72mHerpdg">pic.twitter.com/Q72mHerpdg</a>
&mdash; Climate Defiance (@ClimateDefiance) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateDefiance/status/1780981172442415450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“Murkowski brands herself as a moderate but in truth she is an ecocidal pyromaniac. She fought tooth and nail to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to big oil. Is nothing sacred? Is nothing sacred?” they continued.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Murkowski brands herself as a moderate but in truth she is an ecocidal pyromaniac. She fought tooth and nail to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to big oil. Is nothing sacred? Is nothing sacred? (2/5) <a href="https://t.co/PTcG8TvSvz">pic.twitter.com/PTcG8TvSvz</a>
&mdash; Climate Defiance (@ClimateDefiance) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateDefiance/status/1780981174296289352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“Murkowski played a lead role in persuading Biden to approve the Willow Project. This monstrosity will transport 200,000 barrels of oil every single day. This is hideous. This is cruel and barbaric beyond description,” they added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Murkowski played a lead role in persuading Biden to approve the Willow Project. This monstrosity will transport 200,000 barrels of oil every single day. This is hideous. This is cruel and barbaric beyond description. (3/5)
&mdash; Climate Defiance (@ClimateDefiance) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateDefiance/status/1780981176565461073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) consists of 19,286,722 acres in northeastern Alaska. Polar bears, grizzly bears, and American black bears reside within the Refuge, along with moose, caribou, wolves, and foxes. In August 2020, the Department of opened 1.5 million acres of the coastal plain for drilling, less than 1% of the area of the ANWR. On January 20, 2021, President Biden, on his first day in office, implemented a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-protecting-public-health-and-environment-and-restoring-science-to-tackle-climate-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moratorium</a> on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
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Referring to the coastal plain, the U.S. Geological Survey has <a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-0028-01/fs-0028-01.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, “Technically recoverable oil within the ANWR 1002 area (excluding State and Native areas) is estimated to be between 4.3 and 11.8 billion barrels (95- and 5-percent probability range), with a mean value of 7.7 billion barrels.”
“Total petroleum imports into the United States amounted to 8.5 million barrels per day in 2023,” <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/191251/total-petroleum-imports-into-the-us-since-2000/#:~:text=Total%20petroleum%20imports%20into%20the,petroleum%20imported%20into%20the%20U.S." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Statista</a> reported.
If 7.7 billion barrels could be retrieved from the ANWR, that would constitute importation of 8.5 million barrels for 905 years, assuring American energy independence for nearly a millennium.

2023 JDRF Children’s Congress, Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing

‘Murderer … Ecocidal Pyromaniac’: Radical Eco-Group Claims It Stormed Stage, Wrecked Murkowski Event

Alaska

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Environmentalists

Oil and Gas

China and Russia sent naval warships near the coast of Alaska during a joint naval patrol earlier this week, prompting a response from the U.S. Navy and condemnation from Alaska’s senators. 
The two countries sent eleven ships close to Alaska’s southwest coast — nearing the Aleutian Islands — but never entered American waters, according to a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-and-china-sent-large-naval-patrol-near-alaska-127de28b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Wall Street Journal. This is likely the largest fleet of Russian and Chinese ships ever to approach the American coast, experts told the outlet.  
“It is a historical first,” senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, Brent Sadler, said. “Given the context of the war in Ukraine and tensions around Taiwan, this move is highly provocative.”
Republican Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/russia-china-send-naval-ships-near-alaska-triggering-forceful-us-response" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News the U.S. Navy mobilized four destroyers to shadow and guide the Chinese and Russian ships away from Alaska’s coast. A U.S. defense official said the USS John S. McCain, the USS Benfold, the USS John Finn, and the USS Chung-Hoon tracked the foreign ships’ movements and were accompanied by a maritime patrol and reconnaissance plane, the Journal noted. 
A U.S. Northern Command spokesman confirmed to the Journal a combined patrol consisting of Russian and Chinese ships had occurred but would not confirm the number of vessels or their location. 
“Air and maritime assets under our commands conducted operations to assure the defense of the United States and Canada,” a U.S. Northern Command statement said. “The patrol remained in international waters and was not considered a threat.”
A Chinese embassy spokesman told the outlet the patrol and its location was “not targeted at any third party and has nothing to do with the current international and regional situation.” 
Sullivan called the move “unprecedented” and “concerning,” adding, “It just solidifies this idea that we&#8217;ve entered a new era of authoritarian aggression led by the dictators in Beijing and Moscow who are increasingly aggressive.” 
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) expressed <a href="https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-sullivan-statements-on-chinese-and-russian-vessels-in-us-waters-off-coast-of-aleutians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similar concerns</a> over the increasing tensions and explained the important role Alaska plays in foreign relations and national security, given its proximity to Russia. Murkowski pressed her colleagues in the Senate to support additional funding and resources for military readiness and capabilities in Alaska. 
Sullivan called the U.S. response a “significant improvement” over the “tepid” American response to a smaller flotilla in September. That fleet got 90 miles from the Aleutians and consisted of seven Russian and Chinese ships, Fox News reported. In response, the U.S. dispatched one Coast Guard cutter. 
&#8220;We ramped that up significantly. Four U.S. destroyers and air assets, P-8&#8217;s, that were tracking and monitoring this large-scale Russian-Chinese task force quite closely. So that is a significant improvement,&#8221; Sullivan said of the recent incursion and American response. &#8220;That&#8217;s a lot of naval power up here demonstrating American resolve.&#8221;
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Admiral John Aquilino, the leader of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said at the Aspen Security Forum last month that Russian-Chinese joint exercises have increased, according to the Journal. “I only see the cooperation getting stronger, and boy that’s concerning. That’s a dangerous world,” he said. 
There is currently a struggle for dominance and power in the Arctic region, which is becoming contested territory, and the Russian-Chinese naval patrols appear to be part of that struggle, the Journal reports. Their work together in the region is a sign of increasing cooperation between Moscow and Beijing. According to the Arctic Council, which is an intergovernmental forum focused on the Arctic, the Aleut region, where the Aleutian Islands are located, is <a href="https://arctic-council.org/news/at-the-doorway-to-the-arctic-an-aleut-perspective-on-a-sustainable-arctic-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">referred</a> to as the &#8220;doorway to the Arctic.&#8221; 
Eight countries that have territory in the Arctic make up the Arctic Council and are “stewards of the region,” according to the Council <a href="https://arctic-council.org/about/states/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>. They include the U.S., Canada, Russia, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway, and according to the council, “Their national jurisdictions and international law govern the lands surrounding the Arctic Ocean and its waters.” 
China, however, claimed it was a “near-Arctic state” in 2018 in an attempt to push for a greater governance role in the region, according to the <a href="https://www.rand.org/blog/rand-review/2022/12/what-does-chinas-arctic-presence-mean-to-the-us.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RAND Corporation</a>. It has attempted to establish gas and mining operations in the region and claims it is an “active participant, builder, and contributor in Arctic affairs.”

RUSSIA-MOSCOW-CHINA-XI JINPING-PUTIN-TALKS

China And Russia Sent Warships Near Alaska Coast, Prompting U.S. Response

China

Communist China

Global Politics

Russia

World

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lisa-murkowski" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lisa Murkowski</a> (R-AK) said during an interview this week that if the 2024 presidential election is a rematch of the last election, she will vote for one of her colleagues, Joe Manchin (D-WV).
Murkowski told PBS’ Margaret Hoover on &#8220;Firing Line&#8221; in an interview that aired Friday that she would vote for Manchin for president if he runs as a third party candidate.
&#8220;Your Democratic colleague, Joe Manchin, is being courted by an outside effort to run as an independent in the 2024 election,&#8221; Hoover said. &#8220;This has been called by the organization No Labels, an insurance policy. Do you see any scenario where a third-party candidacy isn’t a spoiler for Donald Trump and just returns him to the White House?&#8221;
“Yeah, you know, there’s been no end of second-guessing and people moving the numbers around,” Murkowski responded. &#8220;I don’t know on that. Others are smarter than me with elections [and] can weigh in there and they certainly have. Think about it: If we go into a 2024 scenario where it’s basically a redo of 2020 between Trump and Biden, what does that say? That we have nobody better than these two?&#8221;
&#8220;And so, an Independent or somebody who is offering something in the middle. People are hungry for that,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;I can tell you, I’m talking to people up north. They’re asking because they know that I’m very close with Joe Manchin and I brought him up to this state a couple of times and he endorsed me. I’ve endorsed him.&#8221;
A few moments later, Hoover asked Murkowski if she would support Manchin if he decided to run as a third party candidate.
&#8220;I tell you, if it’s a matchup between Biden and Trump, I know exactly where I’d go,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I would go with, I would go with Joe Manchin.&#8221;
&#8220;I am one who doesn’t like to use my vote for the lesser of evils,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;I want to be proactive in who I think could do the job. I think Manchin could do the job. But will our system allow for that? That I don’t know.&#8221;
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WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;If it&#39;s a matchup between Biden and Trump, I know exactly where I&#39;d go. I would go with Joe Manchin,&quot; GOP Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/lisamurkowski?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lisamurkowski</a> tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MargaretHoover?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MargaretHoover</a>.
She says she doesn&#39;t want to vote &quot;for the lesser of evils.&quot; 
&quot;I want to be proactive….I think Manchin could do the job.” (1/2) <a href="https://t.co/LNiqLPROYd">pic.twitter.com/LNiqLPROYd</a>
&mdash; Firing Line with Margaret Hoover (@FiringLineShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/FiringLineShow/status/1682112962675261440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Biden/Trump

Murkowski Says She’ll Vote For Her Senate Colleague If Trump-Biden Rematch Happens

Murkowski Says She'll Vote For Her Senate Colleague If Trump-Biden Rematch Happens

2024 Election

Elections

Joe Biden

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lisa-murkowski" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lisa Murkowski</a> (R-AK) has won re-election after state officials finished a final round of vote-counting in the state&#8217;s ranked choice voting system.
Murkowski won re-election over Republican challenger Kelly Tshibaka Wednesday evening in a ranked choice runoff because neither candidate reached 50% on the ballot.
After the second-choice votes were counted, Murkowski ended up beating Tshibaka, 53.7% to 46.3%.
“I am honored that Alaskans — of all regions, backgrounds and party affiliations — have once again granted me their confidence to continue working with them and on their behalf in the U.S. Senate,” Murkowski said in a statement after the results were announced. &#8220;I look forward to continuing the important work ahead of us.&#8221;
Alaska Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy also won re-election, becoming the state&#8217;s first governor since 1998 to do so.
&#8220;Alaskans, thank you for voting and for your continued support over the past four years,&#8221; he said in a statement. &#8220;From public safety and improving our education outcomes to growing our economy, I am honored to serve Alaskans for another four years.&#8221;
&#8220;We look forward to working with the Legislature to prioritize the policies Alaskans expect us to accomplish,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Together, we will work to build an Alaska not just for the next four years but for 50 years and beyond. I will devote myself to ensuring our best days are in front of us.&#8221;
Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) also won re-election against Sarah Palin, who former President Donald Trump backed along with Tshibaka, in the state&#8217;s at-large House seat.
The Washington Post noted that Peltola, who is considered to be a more moderate Democrat, is the first Alaska Native to win a full term in Congress.
&#8220;This is a two-year contract,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And I will be happy to work for Alaskans again, as long as they&#8217;ll have me.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-deadliest-catch-a-billion-snow-crabs-vanish-from-bering-sea-and-no-one-knows-why" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No Deadliest Catch: A Billion Snow Crabs Vanish From Bering Sea And No One Knows Why</a>

GOP Senator In Alaska Lisa Murkowski Campaigns For Re-Election On Day Of Midterm Elections

Lisa Murkowski Wins Re-Election In U.S. Senate, Mike Dunleavy First Alaska Governor To Win Re-Election Since 1998: Projection

Alaska&#8217;s ranked-choice voting system could lead to uncertainty and delays following the midterm elections, and the winners of some races could be unknown for several weeks.
Ranked-choice voting was approved by the state&#8217;s voters in the 2020 election. In the system, all voters receive the same ballot, regardless of the voter&#8217;s political affiliation. All candidates are listed on the same ballot.
Instead of voting for a single candidate for each office, voters rank all the candidates for a particular office based on preference, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-ranked-choice-voting-5ae6c163af2f8a70a8f90928267c4086">according</a> to the Associated Press.
If a single candidate receives at least 50% of first place votes, that candidate is declared the winner. If no single candidate receives at least 50% of the total first-place votes, the candidate with the least amount of votes gets eliminated and a second round commences. If the eliminated candidate was a voter&#8217;s top choice, then the voter&#8217;s second-place choice gets their vote in the second round.
In Alaska&#8217;s ranked-choice system, the rounds continue until there are two candidates left. The candidate with the most votes at the end of that round is the winner of the election. The second round of counting for Alaska&#8217;s elections will take place on November 23.
Critics argue the system is confusing and can lead to less popular candidates winning.
The first round of the Alaska Senate race included three GOP candidates and one Democrat, as the ranked-choice system included the top four frontrunners from the primary held in August. Trump-endorsed Republican Kelly Tshibaka currently leads with 44.48% of the vote and incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski follows at 43% with an estimated 70% of the vote counted, <a href="https://results.decisiondeskhq.com/national/2022-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> Decision Desk HQ.
Democrat Patricia Chesbro is currently third with just 9.57% of the votes, followed by GOP candidate Buzz Kelley at 2.94%.
The election is decisively Republican at over 90% of the total votes, but the ranked-choice system is making the final decision more complicated. If no single candidate receives at least 50% of the votes, the election will move to the next round.
In the Senate, Republicans are confident that either Tshibaka or Murkowski will win due to their large margin over other candidates. Some are concerned that Murkowski, who voted to convict former President Donald Trump after the events of January 6, could defeat her opponent due to being more moderate and picking up more second-place votes from Democrats.
Alaska also included a House race for the state&#8217;s only congressional seat. An August special election to replace the late Rep. Don Young that utilized the state&#8217;s ranked-choice system ended in defeat for Republicans.
In that election, Democrat Mary Peltola received 40% of votes, Republican Sarah Palin received 31%, and fellow Republican Nick Begich got 28% in the first round. Since no single candidate received at least half of the votes, the top two candidates, Peltola and Palin, remained, and in the second round the votes that ranked Begich as the first choice were redistributed among those votes&#8217; second choice picks. Peltola then defeated Palin 51.5% to 48.5%.
Peltola became the first Democrat to represent Alaska in the House in a half-century despite receiving less than half of the state&#8217;s first place votes.
In the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-mary-peltola-republican-sarah-palin-alaska-house-election-outcome-uncertain-in-ranked-choice-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">results</a> from Tuesday&#8217;s election, Peltola currently leads with 47.34% of the vote (101,236), with Palin at 26.66% (57,005), Begich at 24.27% (51,896), and Libertarian Chris Bye at 1.74% (3,716). An estimated 70% of the votes have been counted so far, <a href="https://results.decisiondeskhq.com/national/2022-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> Decision Desk HQ. Republicans are currently combined for 50.93% of the overall votes.
Peltola could win again unless the GOP&#8217;s &#8220;rank the red&#8221; strategy was successful. Following the party&#8217;s August loss, both Palin and Begich emphasized voting for their Republican opponent as a second choice to keep a Democrat out of Congress.
The situation was even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/republican-sen-murkowski-says-she-will-vote-for-democrat-running-against-sarah-palin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more complicated</a> after Murkowski said she planned to vote for Peltola, a Democrat, as her first choice. Peltola later confirmed she was also planning to select Murkowski as her first choice.
The election for the state&#8217;s governor is shaping up to be far clearer. Incumbent Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy could <a href="https://results.decisiondeskhq.com/national/2022-governor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">win</a> in the first round, currently holding 52.17% of the total vote. If his percentage remains at 50% or above, it will allow him to avoid a runoff and secure his re-election.

Senator Lisa Murkowski

Alaska’s Ranked-Choice Election Could Lead To Uncertainty, Delays

Alaska's Ranked-Choice Election Could Lead To Uncertainty, Delays

2022 Midterms

Sarah Palin

Republican Senate candidates Don Bolduc of New Hampshire and Kelly Tshibaka of Alaska went after establishment politicians on both sides of the aisle Sunday. 
Appearing on Fox News’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxy1NQOVFpU">Sunday Morning Futures</a>” with host Maria Bartiromo, Bolduc and Tshibaka were asked about snubs from the Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
Tshibaka is the Trump-endorsed candidate for Senate campaigning against Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who has held the seat since 2002, and Democrat Patricia Chesbro. 
“In our race it’s the power players of D.C. versus the people of Alaska,” Tshibaka told Bartiromo, adding, “I think you’re hearing that from the General [Bolduc] too. This might be the race across all of America. [Incumbent GOP Sen. Lisa] Murkowski is often the tie-breaking vote that just helps the establishment.” 
Alaska&#8217;s new ranked-choice voting allows for multiple candidates from the same party in the general election. 
In New Hampshire, Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general, is running against incumbent Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan. 
“I want to get your take on the money part of this, because we know that Mitch McConnell is holding the purse strings deciding which candidate he wants to back … has this hurt your campaign,” Bartiromo asked Bolduc. 
“Those decisions are made outside of my purview and outside of my influence, and I would say, no it has not, because what happened is, this is a grassroots campaign and we have had record-breaking days in terms of fundraising,” Bolduc replied. “People want change, and it’s indicative of the fact that the establishment is not what people want. Whether it’s Republican or Democrat, does not matter.” 
Last week, CBS news <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mitch-mcconnell-aligned-super-pac-new-hampshire-senate-race-don-bolduc-maggie-hassan/">reported</a> that the Senate Leadership Fund pulled $5.6 million in television advertisements allocated to Bolduc in the final stretch of the campaign. Prior to that, the PAC spent a considerable amount on the race. The National Republican Senatorial Committee announced a $1 million ad buy financed with the campaign, a reversal of a previous decision to cancel spending in the Granite State, according to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/25/new-hampshire-senate-republicans-bolduc">Axios</a>. 
Tshibaka doesn&#8217;t have the support of the Senate Leadership Fund, which has spent more than $5 million in attack ads supporting Murkowski&#8217;s effort to win her fourth full term in the Senate. According to <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/lisa-murkowski/">FiveThirtyEight</a>, Murkowski has voted in line with President Biden 67.3% of the time. Late last week, Tshibaka <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/25/alaska-senate-murkowski-mcconnell-trump/">said</a> that the “millions of dollars Mitch McConnell is spending on lies about me could be put to better use in other states where a Republican has a chance to beat a Democrat.” 
Both Republican candidates are performing well in the polls. RealClearPolitics <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2022/senate/nh/new-hampshire-senate-bolduc-vs-hassan-7379.html">shows</a> Bolduc&#8217;s race as a toss-up, and a recent survey from InsiderAdvantage and American Greatness has Bolduc just one point behind Hassan. According to a recent <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alaskasurvey/posts/pfbid034euYA2Xf6qZofYTQ2p9kKSerC6V2LKaSqkdDCQEZCFyHHiV6HhpQ6Z8Wb9VAkEWNl">Alaska Survey Research poll</a>, 41% of voters back Murkowski as their first choice, while Tshibaka has the support of 39% and Chesbro has 16%. If no candidate gets over 50% in the first round, the candidate with the least amount of votes will be eliminated. The poll finds Tshibaka trailing Murkowski by 11 points in the final round.

Former President Trump Campaigns With House Candidate Sarah Palin And Senate Candidate Kelly Tshibaka In Anchorage, Alaska

‘The Establishment Is Not What People Want’: Republican Senate Candidates Slam Establishment Politicians, Praise Grassroots Support

Republican Senate Candidates Slam Establishment Politicians, Praise Grassroots Support

2022 Election

Mitch McConnell

New Hampshire

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) have publicly endorsed one another ahead of the November midterms, despite serving in different political parties.
Murkowski announced her endorsement and plans to vote for Peltola on Friday at Alaska&#8217;s Federation of Natives convention.
“I know that bothers some people who want me to be that rigid, partisan person, and I’m just not… I do not toe the party line just because party leaders have asked or because it may be expected,” Murkowski told the <a href="https://www.adn.com/politics/2022/10/21/at-afn-murkowski-says-shell-vote-for-longtime-friend-and-democrat-mary-peltola-for-us-house/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Anchorage Daily News</a>.
&#8220;We have been friends for 25 years, and the fact that we’re Republican and Democrat has never interfered with that friendship,&#8221; she added.
Peltola added that she also plans to rank Murkowski as her first choice as senator on the state&#8217;s ranked-choice election ballot.
“I’m voting for her, so we’re even-steven,&#8221; Peltola said, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/24/murkowski-peltola-alaska/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> the Washington Post.
Both leaders face difficult elections in November. Murkowski, who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump after the Capitol riot, faces Trump-endorsed GOP opponent Kelly Tshibaka along with Democrat Patricia Chesbro in a fight to keep her Senate seat in the ranked-choice voting battle.
Peltola&#8217;s House battle has also been controversial, with the Democrat winning her seat in an August special election despite receiving only 40% of the overall vote. Because no candidate on the ranked-choice ballot received at least 50% of the election&#8217;s votes, the two top candidates, Peltola and Republican Sarah Palin, faced off with second-place votes included, giving Democrats their first Alaskan House seat in decades.
The special election sought to fill the seat left vacant following the death of Republican Rep. Don Young, who died earlier in the year. The November election will determine who serves as the state&#8217;s House member for the next two years.
On the November ballot, Peltola will face Palin along with returning Republican candidate Nick Begich and Libertarian candidate Chris Bye. The top four candidates advance to the final ballot under the state&#8217;s ranked-choice system.
After the surprising August loss, both Palin and Begich are now urging Alaskans to &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/palin-begich-urge-alaskans-to-rank-the-red-to-keep-democrat-from-winning-ranked-choice-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rank the red</a>,&#8221; meaning they want voters to select their GOP opponent as their second choice to secure a Republican victory over Peltola.
Republican Party leaders in the state are also urging voters to take the same approach with Murkowski and Tshibaka in the Senate race to avoid similar concerns with Chesbro. The win is also important nationally as Republicans seek to regain control of the deadlocked 50-50 chamber.
Both Palin and Tshibaka have been backed by Trump and were part of his rally event in Alaska. Tshibaka has also <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/blog/meet-press-blog-latest-news-analysis-data-driving-political-discussion-n988541/ncrd1285904#blogHeader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed</a> not to support Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for another term as the party&#8217;s Senate leader if she is elected due to his criticisms of Trump.

GOP Senator, Dem Congresswoman Endorse One Another In Alaska

As Republicans push to gain control of the House and Senate in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2022-midterms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">midterm elections</a>, one GOP senator is backing her Democrat friend over multiple Republican candidates, including former Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sarah-palin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sarah Palin</a>.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) told reporters following an event in Anchorage that she is “so happy to welcome Mary Peltola as our representative for all of Alaska,” <a href="https://www.adn.com/politics/2022/10/21/at-afn-murkowski-says-shell-vote-for-longtime-friend-and-democrat-mary-peltola-for-us-house/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Anchorage Daily News. Peltola, a Democrat, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sarah-palin-loses-to-democrat-mary-peltola-in-special-u-s-house-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won a special election</a> held in August to replace the late Rep. Don Young (R-AK), who died in March after serving as the state’s lone representative for nearly 50 years.
A reporter with the Anchorage Daily News asked the senator if she planned on putting Peltola’s name first on Alaska’s new ranked-choice voting ballot in November. Murkowski responded, “Yeah, I am,” later explaining that “Mary is a friend. &#8230; We have been friends for 25 years, and the fact that we’re Republican and Democrat has never interfered with that friendship.”
<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ArBOzBgA0k" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ArBOzBgA0k" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true">CLICK HERE TO WATCH ELECTION WIRE FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND POLLING ON THE UPCOMING MIDTERMS</a>
The Democrat has <a href="https://www.marypeltola.com/my-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">campaigned</a> on fighting climate change, strengthening Obamacare, supporting abortion rights, and pushing for the leftist LGBTQ Equality Act. Peltola defeated Republicans Palin and Nick Begich III in a surprise victory for Democrats in Alaska’s first-ever <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-scam-gop-senator-blasts-ranked-choice-voting-after-alaska-democrat-wins-house-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranked-choice voting</a> election.
For the August special election, Palin, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump in the race, spent four times the amount of money spent by the Peltola campaign, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/31/democrat-peltola-beats-palin-in-alaska-special-election-upset-00054428" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Politico. The election surprised many, not only because Republicans have dominated in the state for decades, but also because Trump defeated President Joe Biden by 10 points in Alaska in 2020.
Murkowski often draws the ire of conservatives by breaking with party lines and joining Democrats in the Senate. Like her friend Peltola, Murkowski strongly supports abortion rights and even <a href="https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/-murkowski-reiterates-strong-support-for-codification-of-roe-v-wade-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed</a> to codify Roe v. Wade. The senator also famously joined former Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), and Senate Democrats to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-gop-effort-repeal-obamacare-fails-n787311" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stop</a> a Republican attempt at repealing Obamacare in 2017, dealing a huge blow to the Trump administration in its first year.
The Alaska senator, who will also be on the ballot next month, stood by her support of a Democratic candidate in a red state during a contentious election cycle.
“I know that bothers some people who want me to be that rigid, partisan person, and I’m just not. I’m not, haven’t been, and I won’t be,” Murkowski said. “I do not toe the party line just because party leaders have asked or because it may be expected. My first obligation is to the people of the state of Alaska.”

Republican Sen. Murkowski Says She Will Vote For Democrat Running Against Sarah Palin

Democrats

Republicans

Centrist Republican Senators Susan Collins (ME) and Lisa Murkowski (AK) lamented the possibility that the Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade after a draft opinion was leaked indicating that the Court is poised to overturn the landmark ruling that enshrined abortion as a right under federal law.
Speaking to reporters in the halls of the Capitol building Tuesday, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97ga-HOwcl0">Murkowski</a> condemned the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-supreme-court-strikes-down-roe-v-wade-decision-in-draft-of-majority-opinion-report-says">leak of the draft opinion</a>, before commenting that the decision itself &#8220;rocks&#8221; her confidence in the Court. &#8220;The leak is absolutely reprehensible, and needs to be condemned in the strongest possible terms,&#8221; Murkowski said. &#8220;I really find it shocking that this would happen. I understand it is unprecedented. Second point is, Roe is still the law of the land, we don&#8217;t know the direction that this decision will ultimately take, but if it goes in the direction that this leaked copy has indicated, I will just tell you that it rocks my confidence in the court right now.&#8221;
Murkowski also told reporters, via The Hill, that she spoke with several justices, whom she did not name, during their confirmation processes. She said the justices told her that they viewed Roe as settled law and gave her the impression that they would not vote to overturn it. “I think there were some representations made with regards to precedent and settled [law],” she said. “Comments were made to me and to others about Roe being settled and precedent.”
Collins issued a <a href="https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/senator-collins-statement-on-leaked-dobbs-v-jackson-womens-health-organization-draft-decision">statement</a> Tuesday saying that the opinion, if it is actually the final ruling of the Court in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women&#8217;s Health Organization, would be &#8220;inconsistent&#8221; with the conversations she had with Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh during their confirmation processes. “If this leaked draft opinion is the final decision and this reporting is accurate, it would be completely inconsistent with what Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh said in their hearings and in our meetings in my office. Obviously, we won’t know each Justice’s decision and reasoning until the Supreme Court officially announces its opinion in this case.”
Asked by reporters whether, in response to the leaked opinion, she felt misled by Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, Collins evaded the question, saying that her “statement speaks for itself,” <a href="https://thehill.com/news/3475255-collins-draft-roe-decision-completely-inconsistent-with-what-gorsuch-kavanaugh-told-me/">The Hill</a> reported. In addition, Collins Communications Director Annie Clark responded to questions about her stance on the Senate filibuster, telling Punchbowl News’ <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1521511817591283713">Jake Sherman</a> that “Senator Collins’ position on the filibuster is unchanged.”
Murkowski also told reporters that she was open to considering legislation that would codify Roe into law, noting that she and Collins had introduced a similar bill in February. &#8220;I thought it made sense then and I think it makes perhaps more sense now,” Murkowski said. But The Hill noted that both senators voted against the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would have codified the decision.
A draft opinion in the case of Dobbs. v. Jackson Women&#8217;s Health Organization was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-supreme-court-strikes-down-roe-v-wade-decision-in-draft-of-majority-opinion-report-says">leaked</a> to Politico Monday night. The draft opinion “is a full-throated, unflinching repudiation of the 1973 decision which guaranteed federal constitutional protections of abortion rights and a subsequent 1992 decision – Planned Parenthood v. Casey – that largely maintained the right,” Politico reported.

Murkowski and Collins

‘Rocks My Confidence In The Court’: Murkowski, Collins Lament Leaked SCOTUS Opinion, Possible Overturning Of Roe V. Wade

Murkowski, Collins Lament Leaked SCOTUS Opinion, Possible Overturning Of Roe V. Wade

Pro-Life Movement

Roe v. Wade's Long And Brutal Legacy

Supreme Court

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