Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has signaled she’s open to caucusing with Democrats if they gain seats in the 2026 midterm elections, deepening the growing rift within the GOP during President Donald Trump’s second term.
In a recent interview on the GD Politics podcast with host Galen Druke, Murkowski said she would consider aligning with Democrats if doing so allowed her to advance legislation benefiting Alaskans. When asked directly whether she would caucus with Democrats if they won three more Senate seats and offered her support in passing bills for her state, Murkowski replied, “There may be that possibility.”
Murkowski has long been one of the most outspoken Republican critics of Trump. She has confirmed she did not vote for him in any of the three presidential elections he ran in. Since Trump’s return to office, she has repeatedly condemned his leadership, including his confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the administration’s rollback of protections for Afghan immigrants.
In March, she criticized fellow Republicans for staying silent in the face of Trump and former Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk’s aggressive budget cuts, saying many GOP lawmakers were “scared” to oppose them.
Still, Murkowski made clear that she isn’t rushing to embrace the Democratic Party either. “I don’t see the Democrats being much better,” she told Druke. “They’ve got not only their share of problems, but quite honestly, they’ve got some policies that I just inherently disagree with.”
Murkowski has consistently opposed Democratic efforts to restrict oil and gas development in Alaska, a critical issue for her state’s economy. In 2017, she was instrumental in passing legislation that opened up oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—a move supported by Republicans and opposed by most Democrats.
While Murkowski hasn’t announced any formal plans to leave the GOP, her comments reflect growing unease among moderate Republicans about the party’s direction under Trump and suggest that party lines could continue to blur in the coming years.
