So here’s a shocker: Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski recently discovered the radical notion that she doesn’t have to call herself a Republican. After all, she’s been one of Donald Trump‘s biggest critics in Congress.
Ground-breaking, I know. Apparently, one can simply… stop. Who knew? But beyond the snark lie some genuinely juicy political implications.
Who is Lisa Murkowski again?
BREAKING: In a stunning moment, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said it’s possible she will switch parties and become a Democrat. This is huge. pic.twitter.com/PTXIaJCBcT
— Democratic Wins Media (@DemocraticWins) June 23, 2025
Murkowski, 68, has been Alaska’s voice in the Senate since 2002, first by appointment from her dad, then by vote. She’s famously moderate: a 2010 write‑in miracle survivor, one of three GOP Senators to vote for impeachment after the January 6 riot, and a swing vote on key issues like Kavanaugh, Medicaid, Roe‑overturning, and marriage equality.
On June 24, Axios dropped the bomb: Murkowski “leaves the door open to caucusing with Democrats in a 50‑50 split Senate,” calling it an “interesting hypothetical.” So, she could switch to independent, and she might caucus with Dems if it helps Alaska, though she’s not yet made her choice.
Speaking with Semafor, she admitted people have asked why she doesn’t switch, adding, yes, she’s thought about it, because voters ask.
So, what if she goes Dem or Dem-adjacent?
The GOP is already starting to flip on Trump. Here’s Lisa Murkowski saying she never voted for Trump and he’s evil on CBS.
— Based Bandita (@MissVega8888) June 22, 2025
She’s up for re-election in 2028. I hope Alaska remembers and votes her out! pic.twitter.com/JCR2XCGhbx
Still, Murkowski’s tiffs with Trump are legendary, and a Murkowski reset could reshape Washington’s balance. If the Senate hangs at 50‑50 in 2027—a genuine possibility—and she sits independent, she becomes the kingmaker. Caucusing with Democrats gives them de facto control over legislation. But going independent—or overtly switching parties—could invite a MAGA challenger. And if she did go Democrat? Well, that’d be nuclear.
As for what Murkowski will do, it’s wait and see. But your party label isn’t tattooed on your forehead after all. Whether she goes fully rogue, as she’s done in the past, and caucuses with the other side, or just rebrands, it’s a statement of independence, and that’s Alaska’s style. Democrats can dream about control of the Senate, where Republicans could suddenly find themselves asking, “Wait—is that seat still ours?”
