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Francis Hughes Murkowski (born March 28, 1933) is an American politician and a member of the Republican Party. He was a United States Senator from Alaska from 1981 until 2002 and Governor of Alaska from 2002 until 2006.

Murkowski was born in Seattle, Washington to Frank Michael Murkowski and Helen Hughes.^[1] He was raised in Ketchikan, Alaska and initially attended Santa Clara University but graduated from Seattle University, both Catholic Jesuit universities. Prior to his election to the Senate in 1980, he worked in the banking industry in Anchorage and Wrangell. In 1970, he was the Republican nominee for the at-large U.S. House seat, losing to freshman incumbent Nick Begich, 55%-45%. His wife is Nancy Murkowski and he has six children.

Senator Frank H. Murkowski

During his time in the Senate, he was most notable as Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee from 1995 to 2001. As chair, he argued and attempted unsuccessfully to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

He was elected governor on November 5, 2002, defeating his Democratic opponent, Fran Ulmer, 56%-41%. He succeeded retiring Democrat Tony Knowles and took office on December 2, 2002.

Upon his inauguration, he resigned his Senate seat and appointed his daughter, Lisa Murkowski, the Majority Leader-designate of the Alaska House of Representatives, in his place. This led his opponents to accuse him of nepotism; as a result, a ballot measure passed in 2004 stripped governors of the power to appoint U.S. Senators, making Alaska one of only three states to do so.

Towards the end of his administration he brokered a deal for a gas pipeline that was never considered, in final form, by the legislature.

Governor Murkowski ran for re-election in 2006, but lost to former Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin and Fairbanks businessman John Binkley in the Republican primary election on August 22, 2006 (Palin winning with 51% and Binkley taking second with 30% to Murkowski's 19%).^[2] Most polls had predicted this result.^{[citation needed]}

All in all Frank Murkowski spent two years in the armed services, 22 years serving Alaska as their junior Senator in D.C., and four years as Governor of the State.

• 2006 race for Governor (primary)
  • Sarah Palin (R), 51%
  • John Binkley (R), 30%
  • Frank Murkowski (R) (incumbent), 19%

• 2002 race for Governor
  • Frank Murkowski (R), 56%
  • Fran Ulmer (D), 41%

• 1998 race for U.S. Senate
  • Frank Murkowski (R) (inc.), 75%
  • Joe Sonneman (D), 20%

• 1992 race for U.S. Senate
  • Frank Murkowski (R) (inc.), 53%
  • Tony Smith (D), 38%
  • Mary Jordan (Grn.), 8%

• 1986 race for U.S. Senate
  • Frank Murkowski (R) (inc.), 55%
  • Glenn Olds (D), 45%

• 1980 race for U.S. Senate
  • Frank Murkowski (R), 54%
  • Clark Gruening (D), 46%

• Official site
• Frank Murkowski's biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Frank Murkowski's voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Governor Murkowski rated the most unpopular governor in the entire U.S., via alaskareport.com

v • d • e United States Senators from Alaska
Class 2: Bartlett • Stevens Class 3: Gruening • Gravel • F. Murkowski • L. Murkowski

v • d • e Governors of Alaska
District	Kinkead • Swineford • Knapp • Sheakley • Brady • Hoggatt • Clark
Territorial	Clark • Strong • Riggs • Bone • Parks • Troy • Gruening • Heintzleman • Hendrickson • Stepovich • Hendrickson
State	Egan • Hickel • Miller • Egan • Hammond • Sheffield • Cowper • Hickel • Knowles • Murkowski • Palin