Murkowski camp teases fundraising ahead of deadline

BECKY BOHRER, Associated Press
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FILE - In this June 22, 2021 file photo, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a negotiator in the infrastructure talks, pauses for reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. Murkowski hasn't officially announced her re-election plans but her campaign released fundraising details, Wednesday, July 14, 2021, that an advisor says "strongly positions," a re-election bid by Murkowski. The campaign statement comes ahead of a filing deadline and days after Republican party leaders in Alaska endorsed newcomer Kelly Tshibaka for Senate.
1of3FILE - In this June 22, 2021 file photo, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, a negotiator in the infrastructure talks, pauses for reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington. Murkowski hasn't officially announced her re-election plans but her campaign released fundraising details, Wednesday, July 14, 2021, that an advisor says "strongly positions," a re-election bid by Murkowski. The campaign statement comes ahead of a filing deadline and days after Republican party leaders in Alaska endorsed newcomer Kelly Tshibaka for Senate.J. Scott Applewhite/AP

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Sen. Lisa Murkowski hasn't officially announced if she will run again next year, but her campaign released fundraising details Wednesday that an adviser says “strongly positions” the Alaska Republican for a reelection bid.

Kevin Sweeney, a consultant to the campaign who ran Murkowski's comeback 2010 write-in bid, said Murkowski's focus is on her work in Washington. But he told The Associated Press the fundraising shows Murkowski also is “doing the work to make sure that she's positioned for reelection, when that time comes.”

Wednesday's campaign statement comes ahead of a filing deadline and days after Republican party leaders in Alaska endorsed Kelly Tshibaka, a former state Department of Administration commissioner, for U.S. Senate.

Tshibaka also recently announced an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, whom Murkowski has been critical of.

Murkowski was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump during a Senate impeachment trial earlier this year. Trump was acquitted of a charge of incitement of insurrection related to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot.