Trump Ally Preparing Senate Run Against Murkowski: Report
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy is expected to launch a 2028 bid for the U.S. Senate, directly challenging Sen. Lisa Murkowski, according to several individuals close to the governor who spoke with Fox News.
Such a move would set up one of the most significant Republican primaries in the country. Murkowski has long positioned herself as a centrist Republican and has repeatedly clashed with President Donald J. Trump during his current term. Dunleavy, meanwhile, has maintained a strong and consistent alliance with the president since 2016, a contrast that could shape the ideological identity of the Alaska GOP for years to come.
“He’s not going to quit his term,” a source who previously worked with Dunleavy in Juneau told Fox News Digital. The individual emphasized that Dunleavy intends to fully serve out his role as governor before seeking national office. The last Alaska governor to leave early for national ambitions was Sarah Palin in 2009 — a move that, as the source put it, “She never recovered.”
Dunleavy has built a reputation for governing quietly but decisively. “He’s not about an ego and pushing himself in front of the cameras. He gets stuff done,” the source said. “He doesn’t like the cocktail parties and photo ops.” Still, those close to him acknowledge that he sees Washington as the necessary arena for turning policy into results. While he’s joked that he prefers Alaska’s open tundra to “all this concrete,” he understands that representing Alaska in the Senate may now be the most effective path.
He was the second governor in the nation to endorse Trump during the 2016 campaign and has been a frequent presence at the White House despite the considerable distance. “Trump has talked to him before about running and wants him to run,” the source said. Dunleavy's loyalty was further highlighted when he attended President Trump’s Aug. 15 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.
Alaska’s political history underscores the challenge ahead. The state has rarely re-elected Republican governors, with the last being Jay Hammond in 1978. But Dunleavy’s supporters believe he has built a uniquely durable coalition.
“A lot of people have mentioned this (race) to him and … I think it is a very viable option for him,” another source told Fox News Digital. The source noted widespread dissatisfaction among conservatives with Murkowski’s voting record and her strained relationship with President Trump. “Gov. Dunleavy has been not only a successful governor, but a strong ally for him.”
Like Murkowski, Dunleavy has navigated Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system — a system many conservatives argue has been engineered to protect established moderates and aid Democrats. However, Dunleavy has earned meaningful support beyond the conservative base, particularly in Native communities across the North Slope and rural Alaska. His administration has prioritized energy development, infrastructure improvements, and rural education — issues that carry significant weight in statewide elections.
“Murkowski has never faced a challenger like him,” another source said. “He’s built support that goes beyond just conservatives.”
A leading Alaska political analyst echoed this sentiment, noting that the long-standing rift between Murkowski and President Trump has paved the way for this moment. “Conservatives would welcome an opportunity to unseat Murkowski,” the analyst said. “The fact that Trump and Murkowski have had such a strained relationship and Dunleavy and the president (have) a good relationship is really what has led us to this point.”
If Dunleavy moves forward, the 2028 Senate race will become a defining contest between two distinct visions for Alaska: Murkowski, the entrenched moderate with deep family roots in state politics, and Dunleavy, the Trump-aligned governor whose coalition spans conservatives, independents, and rural communities.