Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK)

The following is the overall summary page for Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. In brief, this is an overall summary that constitutes what would be relevant information to know about Senator Murkowski before contacting or advocating her office. She is a mid-length Senator, and as such is often busy in committees and with press related meetings, as most mid-length Senators must complete such activities to more into leadership and stave off primary challengers, whilst still being worried about general election challengers as well. Be aware that most Senators deal with constituencies that can be many times larger than their House delegation members, Alaska Senators however only have a total constituency that is 1.05x each Alaska House District. In addition, Murkowski is an outlier in that she won a general election as a write-in after losing a primary, the only Senator to do that since Strom Thurmond, so be prepared for this mentality to be reflected in her Senatorial duties.

Summary
Senator Lisa Murkowski is the senior Senator for the State Of Alaska, assuming office in December 2002, and becoming the senior Senator in January 2015. She was elected as a Republican in 2002 (Appointment), 2004, and 2016. In 2010, she was defeated in the primary by tea-party Republican candidate Joe Miller. She then went on to win the General election by write-in as an independent. Murkowski remains incredibly popular for a Senator, with an approval rating from Morning Consult in September 2016 of 65%, with only 9% rating her neither approve/disapprove. Murkowski spent time in private law practice before being elected in 2000 to the Alaska House of Representatives. In December 2002, she was appointed to the Senator position by her father, then Governor Frank Murkowski, who was also the outgoing Senator.

Impact
Senator Murkowski has moderating effect on the overall Republican stances, and is a prominent member of several women's legislative groups. Overall her impact is relatively low on the national scene currently, and that could be for various reasons such as her varied stances and the current lead narrative being more toward the extremities of both parties. She is currently the Chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee.