Frank Murkowski

Frank Murkowski
8th Governor of Alaska
In office December 2, 2002 – December 4, 2006
Lieutenant	Loren D. Leman
Preceded by	Tony Knowles
Succeeded by	Sarah Palin
United States Senator from Alaska
In office January 3, 1981 – December 2, 2002
Preceded by	Mike Gravel
Succeeded by	Lisa Murkowski
3rd Alaska Commissioner of Economic Development
In office 1966–1970
Preceded by	William M. Dickson
Succeeded by	Everett W. Buness
Personal details
Born	March 28, 1933 (age 78) Seattle, Washington
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Nancy Rena Murkowski (née Gore, m. 1954)
Children	Carol Victoria Sturgulewski (b. ca. 1956) Lisa Murkowski (b. 1957) Michael Francis Murkowski (b. ca. 1959) Eileen Marie Van Wyhe (b. 1960) Mary Catherine Judson (b. ca. 1961) Brian Patrick Murkowski (b. ca. 1968)
Residence	Fairbanks, Alaska
Alma mater	University of Santa Clara Seattle University
Profession	Banker, Politician
Religion	Roman Catholic
Military service
Service/branch	United States Coast Guard
Years of service	1955-1956

Francis Hughes Murkowski (pronounced /mərˈkaʊski/; 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 the eighth Governor of Alaska from 2002 until 2006.

Early life and career

Born in Seattle, Washington to Frank and Helen (née Hughes),^[1] Murkowski attended Ketchikan High School in Alaska, graduating in 1951. Studying at Santa Clara University from 1951 to 1953, he gained a BS in economics from Seattle University in 1955.^[2] Thereafter, he served in the United States Coast Guard until 1957 - the same year his daughter Lisa was born.^[2] After a stint at Pacific National Bank and further study at Pacific Coast Banking School, Murkowski became Alaska's youngest commissioner at the time when he was appointed Commissioner of Economic Development, aged 33, and was elevated to the presidency of the Alaska National Bank of the North in 1971. He has also headed the Alaska Bankers Association and - in 1977 -^[3] the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce.^[4]

U.S. Senate

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.

In a floor statement in the Senate, regarding the bar of homosexuals serving in the military, Mr. Murkowski stated that homosexuals have a right to choose their lifestyle, but there exists no right to serve. In his opposition to lifting the ban, his speech focused on the cost affect on the Veterans Administration in treating service members infected with HIV.^[5] His successor in the Senate, his daughter, Lisa Murkowski voted to repeal the ban on homosexuals in the armed services.^[6]

Governor

Murkowski was elected governor on November 5, 2002, receiving nearly 56% of the vote, the highest percentage for any gubernatorial candidate in Alaska history up until that point.^[7] He succeeded 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. His opponents derided the appointment as an act of nepotism.

Toward the end of his administration he brokered a deal for a gas pipeline that was never considered, in final form, by the legislature. Murkowski threatened to sign the deal without legislative approval, but the legislature successfully brought a lawsuit to enjoin him from doing so.

Governor Murkowski ran for re-election in 2006, but came in third behind former Wasilla mayor and future Republican Party vice-presidential nominee 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%).^[8] Most polls had predicted this result.^{[citation needed]} Murkowski left office with one of the nation's worst approval ratings of 19%.^[9]

On March 4, 2008, Murkowski's former chief-of-staff, Jim Clark admitted that he was aware that Veco Corp had paid $10,000 for a political poll to gauge the popularity of then-incumbent Governor Murkowski. Clark was charged with "honest services fraud". Before he was sentenced, the US Supreme Court ruled that the statute was drafted with unconstitutional vagueness and henceforth will only cover "fraudulent schemes to deprive another of honest services through bribes or kickbacks supplied by a third party who ha[s] not been deceived." Since Clark was guilty of neither bribes or kickbacks, all charges were voided.

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.

Jet plane scandal

In 2005, in spite of opposition from the Alaska Legislature, Murkowski purchased a Westwind II jet with state money for $2.7 million.^[10] This purchase became the symbol of his unpopular legacy in state politics, so much so that his successor, Sarah Palin, promised to sell the jet once she became governor.^[11]

Electoral history

• United States House of Representatives election in Alaska, 1970
  • Nick Begich (D), 55%
  • Frank Murkowski (R), 45%

• United States Senate election in Alaska, 1980
  • Frank Murkowski (R), 54%
  • Clark Gruening (D), 46%

• United States Senate election in Alaska, 1986
  • Frank Murkowski (R) (inc.), 55%
  • Glenn Olds (D), 45%

• United States Senate election in Alaska, 1992
  • Frank Murkowski (R) (inc.), 53%
  • Tony Smith (D), 38%
  • Mary Jordan (Grn.), 8%

• United States Senate election in Alaska, 1998
  • Frank Murkowski (R) (inc.), 75%
  • Joe Sonneman (D), 20%

• Alaska gubernatorial election, 2002
  • Frank Murkowski (R), 56%
  • Fran Ulmer (D), 41%

• Alaska gubernatorial election, 2006 (primary)
  • Sarah Palin (R), 51%
  • John Binkley (R), 30%
  • Frank Murkowski (R) (incumbent), 19%

References

External links

• FrankMurkowski.com
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Governor Murkowski rated the most unpopular governor in the entire U.S., via alaskareport.com

United States Senate
Preceded by Mike Gravel	United States Senator (Class 3) from Alaska 1981–2002 Served alongside: Ted Stevens	Succeeded by Lisa Murkowski
Political offices
Preceded by Alan K. Simpson	Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee 1985–1987	Succeeded by Alan Cranston
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
Party political offices
Preceded by C.R. Lewis	Republican nominee for United States Senator from Alaska (Class 3) 1980, 1986, 1992, 1998	Succeeded by Lisa Murkowski
Preceded by John Howard Lindauer	Republican nominee for Governor of Alaska 2002	Succeeded by Sarah Palin