Kelly Tshibaka announced on Monday her intention to run for United States Senate, setting up a 2022 challenge to Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Tshibaka has been the Commissioner for the state Department of Administration, which oversees the Alaska Public Offices Commission, Alaska Public Broadcasting, the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and the Office of Administrative Hearings.
In an announcement video Monday morning, Tshibaka said, “Lisa Murkowski, her background is just a little different than mine. Lisa’s dad was a powerful governor. Before that, he was in the United States Senate for 20 years. Lisa wasn’t originally elected to the Senate. She didn’t have to fight for it. Her dad gave her the seat he was elected to. She’s been in that same seat for 20 years. That means there’s been a Murkowski in the Senate since 1981.”
Earlier this month, the Alaska Republican Party voted to censure Murkowski for her vote to convict President Donald Trump in his recent impeachment trial. Tshibaka said that Murkowski has worked against the interests of Alaskans, including voting to remove President Trump from office.
In announcing her intention to run for U.S. Senate, Tshibaka resigned from her position as Commissioner for the Department of Administration and thanked Governor Mike Dunleavy. The conservative Republican was the Chief Data Officer for the Inspector General of the U.S. Postal Service under President Trump and Obama. She also served as Acting Inspector General for the Federal Trade Commission, counsel to the Inspector General in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and in the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Justice.
