Kelly Tshibaka is an Alaska Republican who was backed by former President Donald Trump, is blaming Senate minority Leader Mitch McConnellBecause she failed to remove centrist GOP senator Lisa Murkowski in this election cycle.
Tshibaka was a former Alaska official. On Wednesday, the latest round vote tabulations had shown Murkowski winning. The race was called after several weeks. Alaska’s ranked-choiceThe voting system is a method by which voters pick their preferred candidates, and the vote share goes to the top two candidates after an elimination.
Tsibaka called ranked-choice voting the cause of her loss and called it frustrating. McConnell, however, was also blamed.
“It is regrettable that Sen. Mitch McConnell spent millions of dollars in this race on deceptive ads to secure what he wanted – a Senate minority that he can control, as opposed to a majority that he could not,” she said. “Donors’ money would have been better spent in other states to elect more Republicans that would have secured a majority in the Senate.”
ALASKA SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI WINS REELECTION to US SENATE OVER KELLY TSHIBAKA
The Alaska contest was viewed as a proxy battle between former President Trump (Sen. Mitch McConnell)
(Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Tshibaka claimed that Murkowski’s defeat was just another victory for Washington, D.C. insiders, who often do not have our best interest at heart.”
WHAT IS RANKED-CHOICE VOTING? THE NEW ELECTION PROCESS IN ALASKA
Many saw the Alaska contest as a proxy battle between McConnell, Trump. Murkowski, who was impeached for allegedly inciting an attack on the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, 2021, was sought to be punished by the former president.
Kelly Tshibaka said, “It is regrettable Sen. Mitch McConnell wasted millions of dollars in the race on deceptive advertisements to secure what he desired.”
(PATRICKT.FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
“She’s a total creature of the Washington swamp but much worse than that and a tool of a corrupt establishment, the likes of which we’ve never seen,” Trump said of Murkowski during a July rally in Alaska. She is loved by the fake news media.
McConnell, who will be the longest-serving Senate Leader in history in January 2017, lined up behind Murkowski. This was in line with Kentucky Republican’s well-known practice of supporting incumbents.
“I am honored that Alaskans – of all regions, backgrounds and party affiliations – have once again granted me their confidence to continue working with them and on their behalf in the U.S. Senate,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
(Lisa Murkowski re-election campaign)
McConnell’s super PAC and other political organizations spent large amounts to support Murkowski. The Center for Responsive Politics reports that outside groups spent almost $7 million on Tshibaka’s defense and just over $6,000,000 on positive advertisements highlighting Murkowski’s achievements.
Murkowski stated that her win was based on the creation of a diverse coalition consisting of independents and Republicans as well as some Democrats.
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“I am honored that Alaskans – of all regions, backgrounds and party affiliations – have once again granted me their confidence to continue working with them and on their behalf in the U.S. Senate,” she said. “I look forwards to continuing the important work before us.”
