The2004 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on Tuesday November 2, Republican candidate and Interim United States senator Lisa Murkowski won re-election to a full term in office Defeat former governor of Alaska Tony Knowles. Murkowski had been appointed in 2002 by Frank Murkowski, her father and the governor of Alaska.
At the time, this was the closestUnited States Senate election in Alaska history; it has since been surpassed in2008,2010 and2014. Murkowski was the first woman elected to theUnited States Congress from Alaska. As of 2025, Murkowski’s total vote of 149,773 remains the most she has received in her four campaigns for United States Senate.
On November 5, 2002, U.S. senatorFrank Murkowski ran for election asgovernor of Alaska and won, resigning from the United States Senate to take office as governor on December 2. On December 20, Murkowski appointedhis daughter Lisa, a Republican member of theAlaska House of Representatives fromAnchorage, to his former seat for the remainder of his unexpired term. Murkowski passed over other potential appointees, including retiringWasilla mayorSarah Palin and state senatorBen Stevens, who was the son of the state's popular senior senator,Ted Stevens.
By 2004, popular opinion had swung against the Murkowski family because of a state tax increase passed by Frank. Lisa Murkowski had very low approval ratings and faced accusations that she owed her seat tonepotism. Knowles enlisted extensive out-of-state support in his bid for the seat and ran on his support for drilling in ANWR, in contrast to his national party.
Murkowski received crucial support fromTed Stevens, who worked to rescue her campaign and taped advertisements warning Alaskans that electing a Democrat could result in fewer federal dollars for Alaska.[2]
^In December 2002, Murkowski was appointed by GovernorFrank Murkowski (her father) to fill the vacancy caused by Frank Murkowski himself resigning after being sworn in asGovernor of Alaska.
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