Murkowski Outraised Trump-Backed Challenger in Second Quarter

(Bloomberg) -- Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska outraised a primary opponent who’s been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, taking in $1.1 million, according to her latest filing with the Federal Election Commission.

Murkowski got support from some billionaire GOP donors and corporate political action committees. Hedge fund manager Paul Singer and retired Walmart chairman Rob Walton each gave $5,800, the maximum for both the primary and general elections.

Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman, who in 2020 donated $3 million to a super PAC that supported Trump, contributed $2,900 to the Alaska senator. Amazon.com Inc.’s PAC gave $7,500, while Chevron Corp. and FedEx Corp. each gave $5,000.

The senator’s second quarter haul topped her GOP opponent Kelly Tshibaka, who announced Monday she’d raised $750,000 in the first 94 days of her campaign. Tshikaba, who’s been endorsed by Trump and the Alaska Republican Party, raised half of her money from state residents and said 94% of the money came from donors who gave less than $200. Murkowski had little small-dollar donor support, raising just $29,172 from them.

Murkowski is the only Republican senator up for election in 2022 who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial over his part in encouraging a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Trump has vowed to defeat Murkowski and the 10 Republican House members who also voted to impeach him. Trump also said he would campaign for Tshibaka, a former Alaska Department of Administration commissioner.

Murkowski has faced challenges from within her party before. In 2010, she lost the Republican primary to Joe Miller, a former U.S. magistrate judge backed by former Governor Sarah Palin and Tea Party groups. But Murkowski won as a write-in candidate, defeating Miller and Democrat Scott McAdams in a three-way race.

Tshibaka has not yet filed her FEC report. Congressional candidates are due to file them with the agency Thursday.

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