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.
“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.”
