Former President Donald Trump is offering his endorsement of Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) but says it is contingent on one thing.
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump wrote, “Mike Dunleavy has been a strong and consistent Conservative since his time in the Alaska State Senate. I was proud to endorse his first run for Governor, and I am proud to support his reelection, too.”
“From his handling of the virus, support of the Constitution — including the Second and Tenth Amendments — taking advantage of all the opportunities Alaska has to offer, and his strong pushback against the Liberal Biden Administration’s attempt to hurt our great Country. Alaska needs Mike Dunleavy as Governor now more than ever,” he continued.
Finally, Trump made clear that there was a catch for his endorsement.
“He has my Complete and Total Endorsement, but this endorsement is subject to his non-endorsement of Senator Lisa Murkowski who has been very bad for Alaska… In other words, if Mike endorses her, which is his prerogative, my endorsement of him is null and void, and of no further force or effect!” he added.
Read the statement below:
Trump’s endorsement of @GovDunleavy is contingent on the governor’s non-endorsement of GOP incumbent Sen. @lisamurkowski, the former president says.
— Tristan Justice (@JusticeTristan) December 29, 2021
Kelly Tshibaka (@KellyForAlaska) is challenging Murkowski with both Trump’s support, and the backing of the @akgop pic.twitter.com/mci94XNerP
Murkowski is one of seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump on the charge of incitement of insurrection in his second impeachment trial in February.
The Alaska Republican Party voted to censure Murkowski in March partly based on her impeachment vote. It vowed to “recruit a Republican Party challenger to oppose and prohibit Senator Murkowski from being a candidate in any Republican primary to the extent legally permissible.”
Murkowski will face off against Kelly Tshibaka, who has received Trump’s backing and the support of Alaska’s Republican Party.
The former president suggested that he may travel to the state to campaign against her. In a statement in March, he said, “I do not know where other people will be next year, but I know where I will be – in Alaska campaigning against a disloyal and very bad Senator. Her vote to advance radical left Democrat Deb Haaland for Secretary of the Interior is yet another example of Murkowski not standing up for Alaska.”
Trump asserted the Alaska senator “represents her state badly and her country even worse.”
