Frank Murkowski.html



Frank Murkowski
10th Governor of Alaska
In office December 2, 2002 – December 4, 2006
Lieutenant	Loren D. Leman
Preceded by	Tony Knowles
Succeeded by	Sarah Palin
United States Senator from Alaska
In office January 3, 1981 – December 2, 2002
Preceded by	Mike Gravel
Succeeded by	Lisa Murkowski
Born	March 28, 1933 (1933-03-28) (age 75) Seattle, Washington
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Nancy Murkowski
Residence	Fairbanks, Alaska
Alma mater	Seattle University
Profession	Banker, Politician
Religion	Roman Catholic

Francis Hughes Murkowski (born March 28, 1933) is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He was a United States Senator from Alaska from 1981 until 2002 and Governor of Alaska from 2002 until 2006.

Murkowski was born in Seattle, Washington to Frank Michael Murkowski and Helen Hughes.^[1] He was raised in Ketchikan, Alaska and initially attended Santa Clara University but graduated from Seattle University, both Catholic universities run by the Society of Jesus. Prior to his election to the Senate in 1980, he worked in the banking industry in Anchorage and Wrangell. In 1970, he was the Republican nominee for the at-large U.S. House seat, but lost to Nick Begich, 55%-45%. He is married to Nancy Murkowski, and they have six children.

During his time in the Senate, he was most notable as Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee from 1995 to 2001. As chair, he argued and attempted unsuccessfully to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

He was elected governor on November 5, 2002, defeating his Democratic opponent, Fran Ulmer, 56%-41%. He succeeded retiring Democrat Tony Knowles and took office on December 2, 2002.

Upon his inauguration, he resigned his Senate seat and appointed his daughter, Lisa Murkowski, the Majority Leader-designate of the Alaska House of Representatives, in his place. This led his opponents to accuse him of nepotism; as a result, a ballot measure passed in 2004 stripped governors of the power to appoint U.S. Senators, making Alaska one of only three states to do so.

Toward the end of his administration he brokered a deal for a gas pipeline that was never considered, in final form, by the legislature. Murkowski threatened to sign the deal without legislative approval, but the legislature successfully brought a lawsuit to enjoin him from doing so.

Governor Murkowski ran for re-election in 2006, but came in third behind former Wasilla mayor, now Governor, Sarah Palin and Fairbanks businessman John Binkley in the Republican primary election on August 22, 2006 (Palin winning with 51% and Binkley taking second with 30% to Murkowski's 19%).^[2] Most polls had predicted this result.^{citation needed}

On March 4, 2008, Murkowski's former chief-of-staff, Jim Clark, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy after federal investigators discovered Clark had asked oil-field company Veco to illegally pay $68,550 on polls for Murkowski's failed 2006 re-election campaign. Murkowski, Clark's indictment noted, was the only candidate who supported an oil tax and gas pipeline plan that Veco backed. Murkowski has not been charged in the Alaska political corruption probe.

In all, Murkowski spent two years in the armed services, 22 years as Alaska's junior senator in D.C. and four years as governor.

Electoral history

• 2006 race for Governor (primary)
  • Sarah Palin (R), 51%
  • John Binkley (R), 30%
  • Frank Murkowski (R) (incumbent), 19%

• 2002 race for Governor
  • Frank Murkowski (R), 56%
  • Fran Ulmer (D), 41%

• 1998 race for U.S. Senate
  • Frank Murkowski (R) (inc.), 75%
  • Joe Sonneman (D), 20%

• 1992 race for U.S. Senate
  • Frank Murkowski (R) (inc.), 53%
  • Tony Smith (D), 38%
  • Mary Jordan (Grn.), 8%

• 1986 race for U.S. Senate
  • Frank Murkowski (R) (inc.), 55%
  • Glenn Olds (D), 45%

• 1980 race for U.S. Senate
  • Frank Murkowski (R), 54%
  • Clark Gruening (D), 46%

• 1970 race for U.S. House
  • Nick Begich (D), 55%
  • Frank Murkowski (R), 45%

External links

• FrankMurkowski.com
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Governor Murkowski rated the most unpopular governor in the entire U.S., via alaskareport.com

Footnotes

v • d • e United States Senators from Alaska Class 2: Bartlett • Stevens Class 3: Gruening • Gravel • F. Murkowski • L. Murkowski

v • d • e Governors of Alaska District Kinkead • Swineford • Knapp • Sheakley • Brady • Hoggatt • Clark Territorial Clark • Strong • Riggs • Bone • Parks • Troy • Gruening • Heintzleman • Hendrickson • Stepovich • Hendrickson State Egan • Hickel • Miller • Egan • Hammond • Sheffield • Cowper • Hickel • Knowles • Murkowski • Palin