Frank Murkowski
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| Frank Murkowski | |
| Image:Governorfrankmurkowski.jpg | |
| | |
| December 2002 – present | |
| Lieutenant Governor: | Loren D. Leman |
|---|---|
| Predecessor: | Tony Knowles |
| Successor: | Sarah Palin (Governor-elect) |
| Born: | March 28, 1933 Seattle, Washington |
| Political party: | Republican |
| Profession: | Banker |
| Spouse: | Nancy Murkowski |
| Religion: | Roman Catholic |
Francis Hughes Murkowski (born March 28, 1933) is an American politician who is the outgoing Governor of Alaska and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he was a United States Senator from Alaska from 1981 until 2002.
Raised in Ketchikan, Alaska, Frank Murkowski initially attended Santa Clara University but graduated from Seattle University, both Catholic Jesuit universities. Prior to his election to the Senate in 1980, he worked in the banking industry in Anchorage and Wrangell.
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.
He has six children with his wife, Nancy. He currently resides in the state capital, Juneau.
As of August, 2006, according to a poll, Murkowski has the second lowest approval rating out of the 50 governors. His approval rating is only 19%, while his disapproval rating is 76%. Many residents are angry over a recently purchased jet using a state line of credit with Key Bank, which was legal but did not require legislative approval. Earlier disapproval was related to his elimination of the state longevity bonus paid annually to senior citizen residents of Alaska. However, it was eliminated at a time when the state was facing a budget deficit. Murkowski's use of the jet over cheaper commercial air travel has caused controversy among citizens as well as legislators and the matter of business that he attends to - and the possible use of the jet for personal business[1]. Senator Kim Elton publishes a newsletter detailing each time the jet is used, the cost, and the price of a first class commercial ticket the same day to the same destination. Ultimately the Alaska Public Offices Commission ruled that Murkowski could avoid breaking campaign laws by reimbursing the State for trips made on the state jet during his unsuccessful campaign for re-election in 2006.
Governor Murkowski ran for re-election in 2006, but lost to former Wasilla Mayor 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%). Most polls had predicted this result. [2]
[edit] Electoral history
- 2006 race for Governor (primary)
- Sarah Palin (R), 51%
- John Binkley (R), 30%
- Frank Murkowski (R) (inc.), 19%<ref>Alaska Division of Elections, 2006 results</ref>
- 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%
[edit] External links
- Office of the Governor (AK) website
- Alaska governor Frank Murkowski now rated the most unpopular governor in entire country
- Signs of Frank Murkowski's unpopularity
| Preceded by: Mike Gravel | United States Senator (Class 3) from Alaska 1981–2002 Served alongside: Ted Stevens | Succeeded by: Lisa Murkowski |
| Preceded by: Tony Knowles | Governor of Alaska 2002 - present | Succeeded by: Sarah Palin (elected) |
| Governors of Alaska
<td style="vertical-align: middle; width: 1px" rowspan="2"> Image:Flag of Alaska.svg </td> |
|---|
| 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 |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Murkowski, Frank |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Murkowski, Francis Hughes (full name) |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Alaska politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 28, 1933 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Seattle, Washington |
| DATE OF DEATH | living |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
fr:Frank Murkowski nl:Frank H. Murkowski pl:Frank Murkowski pt:Frank Murkowski ru:Марковски, Фрэнк fi:Frank Murkowski sv:Frank Murkowski
