Longtime GOP ‘Moderate’ Says She Could Become Democrat
A more moderate Republican senator who has frequently fought with President Donald Trump is leaving open the possibility of leaving the party.
In several media interviews on Monday to promote her new book, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) entertained the idea of departing from the GOP. In an interview with former FiveThirtyEight podcaster Galen Druke on his GD Politics show, Murkowski did not dismiss speculation about switching parties but emphasized that she holds fundamental disagreements with Democrats.
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“Challenged as I think we may be on the Republican side, I don’t see the Democrats being much better,” Murkowski said. “They’ve got not only their share of problems, but quite honestly, they’ve got some policies that I just inherently disagree with.”
Druke followed up by asking whether Murkowski would consider becoming an Independent if the GOP were to lose three seats in the 2026 midterm elections, potentially handing control of the chamber to the Democrats.
“There may be that possibility,” she said, adding, “There is some openness to exploring something different than the status quo.”
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During a follow-up interview with Semafor, Murkowski admitted she’s considered joining the Democratic Party. “Have I considered [switching parties]? Yes, because I’ve been asked the question,” she said.
“Do I feel that within my Republican conference, I always feel like I’m right here in my political home? No. There are sometimes directions and policies that I disagree with,” she added.
Murkowski has frequently clashed with Trump and broken from her GOP colleagues repeatedly in recent years. In her new book, she writes that the “so-called MAGA movement” is a “personality cult that has ripped us apart.”
Meanwhile, another GOP moderate, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine who often goes against Trump and her party’s more conservative majority, is facing what could be her most difficult reelection bid as she eyes a sixth term.
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According to a local news report, Collins is going to face at least three primary challengers – Carmen Calabrese of Kennebunkport and Daniel Smeriglio of Frenchville, both of whom have filed as Republicans, and Phillip Rench of Waterboro, who sits on the board for the Maine Space Corporation and owns Ossipee Hill Farm and Observatory, who filed as an Independent.
Other candidates could still emerge. And as Democrats seek to make gains in the House and Senate next year, her seat is one that the opposition party will be targeting, the Maine Morning Star reported, adding:
Two Democrats are also vying for Maine’s U.S. Senate seat so far.
Jordan Wood of Bristol, originally from Lewiston, spent about a decade working in politics in Washington, D.C., including as chief of staff to former Democratic U.S. Rep. Katie Porter of California.
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Natasha Alcala of Madawaska is currently a fashion designer who moved to Maine from California a little over four years ago. She has degrees in international relations and criminal justice and is a U.S. Navy veteran. Alcala previously filed to run against U.S. Sen. Angus King in 2024 but withdrew before the primary.
King caucuses with Democrats in the Senate, but he is officially listed as an Independent.
In the last election cycle, Collins campaigned to Mainers by highlighting her ability to secure federal funding for the state through her anticipated rise to chair one of the Senate’s most influential committees—a position she now holds and cited when explaining why she believes she remains the best choice to represent Maine, the outlet reported.
“By climbing that ladder in the last three years I have been able to secure more than a billion dollars for hundreds of projects in communities across our state,” Collins said. “That would not have happened without the seniority that I have.”
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Collins emphasized the earmarks she secured for investments across all 16 of Maine’s counties, as well as legislation with broader impacts for Mainers. Notably, she co-authored the Social Security Fairness Act, which was signed into law earlier this year under former President Joe Biden and restored full benefits for millions of public sector workers.
