Under Alaska's new open primary system, in which all 19 U.S. Senate candidates are appearing on a single, nonpartisan ballot, four will advance after today's elections to the November general election ballot. Three of those are expected to be Democrat Patricia Chesbro, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, and her conservative, Trump-endorsed challenger, Kelly Tshibaka.
While The Washington Post claims the Alaska vote tests the former president's "influence," Rob Chambers, vice president of AFA Action, expects to see the Trump "campaign effect."
"Lisa Murkowski's negative numbers are pretty high, considering that she's been in office several years," he notes. "56% view her negatively, so that does not look good for Lisa Murkowski, especially when she's one of the … seven Republican senators who voted guilty in the 2021 impeachment trial of former President Trump."
So he does not think that bodes well for Murkowski either in the primary or in the general election in November.
Chambers also mentions that according to AFA Action's iVoterGuide, Tshibaka is rated as a solid conservative, while Murkowski is a moderate.
Definitive election results are not expected for at least two weeks.
Editor's Note: AFA Action is an affiliate of the American Family Association, the parent organization of the American Family News Network, which operates AFN.net.