Alaska Republican US Senator Lisa Murkowski has won reelection, multiple outlets projected on Wednesday, including The Associated Press.
Murkowski defeated Republican rival Kelly Tshibaka, who had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
Murkowski beat Tshibaka in the November 8 ranked choice election. The results were announced Wednesday, when elections officials tabulated the ranked choice results after neither candidate won more than 50% of first-choice votes.
The race also included Democrat Pat Chesbro and Republican Buzz Kelley, who suspended his campaign after the August primary and endorsed Tshibaka.
Murkowski was the only Senate Republican who voted to convict Trump at his impeachment trial last year, though the Senate ultimately acquitted Trump. The former president then vowed to campaign against her.
Murkowski was also one of several Republicans who voted with the Democrats earlier this year to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown, President Joe Biden’s nominee to the Supreme Court.
This year’s elections were held under a new system approved by voters in 2020 that replaced party primaries with open primaries and instituted ranked voting in general elections. Under the open primary
Also on Wednesday, Democrat Mary Peltola won the race for Alaska’s at-large congressional seat, NBC News projected, defeating former governor and GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
After the first round of voting, Peltola led Palin by more than 20 percentage points, with Republican Nick Begich in third. But because Peltola failed to win more than 50 percent, the voting went to a second round with Begich eliminated and his votes redistributed to those voters’ second choice.
The three-way race was a rematch of a special election held earlier this year in which Peltola made history by becoming the first Native Alaskan seated in Congress after winning the special election to replace longtime GOP Rep. Don Young, who died in March at the age of 88.
Palin was also endorsed by Trump, who said, "Wonderful patriot Sarah Palin of Alaska just announced that she is running for Congress, and that means there will be a true America First fighter on the ballot to replace the late and legendary Congressman Don Young.”
"Sarah shocked many when she endorsed me very early in 2016, and we won big. Now, it’s my turn!” he added.