Frank Murkowski

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frank Murkowski
Frank Murkowski
In office
December 2, 2002 – December 4, 2006
Lieutenant Loren D. Leman
Preceded by Tony Knowles
Succeeded by Sarah Palin
In office
January 3, 1981 – December 2, 2002
Preceded by Mike Gravel
Succeeded by Lisa Murkowski
Born March 28, 1933 (1933-03-28) (age 75)
Seattle, Washington
Political party Republican
Spouse Nancy Murkowski
Profession Banker, Politician
Religion Roman Catholic

Francis Hughes Murkowski (born March 28, 1933) is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He was a United States Senator from Alaska from 1981 until 2002 and Governor of Alaska from 2002 until 2006.

Murkowski was born in Seattle, Washington to Frank Michael Murkowski and Helen Hughes.[1] He was raised in Ketchikan, Alaska and 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. In 1970, he was the Republican nominee for the at-large U.S. House seat, but lost to Nick Begich, 55%-45%. He is married to Nancy Murkowski, and they have six children.

Senator Frank H. Murkowski
Senator Frank H. Murkowski

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.

Toward the end of his administration he brokered a deal for a gas pipeline that was never considered, in final form, by the legislature.

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%).[2] Most polls had predicted this result.[citation needed]

On March 4, 2008, Murkowski's former chief-of-staff, Jim Clark, pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy after federal investigators discovered Clark had asked oil-field company Veco to illegally pay $68,550 on polls for Murkowski's failed 2006 re-election campaign. Murkowski, Clark's indictment noted, was the only candidate who supported an oil tax and gas pipeline plan that Veco backed. Murkowski has not been charged in the Alaska political corruption probe..

In all, Murkowski spent two years in the armed services, 22 years as Alaska's junior senator in D.C. and four years as governor.

[edit] Electoral history

  • 2002 race for Governor
  • 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%
  • 1970 race for U.S. House

[edit] External links

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ murkowski
  2. ^ State of Alaska Division of Elections: "2006 Primary Election Results." Retrieved March 16 2007.
Preceded by
Mike Gravel		 United States Senator (Class 3) from Alaska
1981 – 2002
Served alongside: Ted Stevens		 Succeeded by
Lisa Murkowski
Preceded by
J. Bennett Johnston		 Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
1995 – 2001		 Succeeded by
Jeff Bingaman
Preceded by
Tony Knowles		 Governor of Alaska
2002 – 2006		 Succeeded by
Sarah Palin
v • d • e
United States Senators from Alaska
Class 2: Bartlett • Stevens
Class 3: Gruening • Gravel • F. Murkowski • L. Murkowski
 United States Senate
v • d • e
Governors of Alaska
District
Territorial
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