Frank Murkowski

Frank Murkowski (2007)

Francis Hughes "Frank" Murkowski (* 28. March 1933 in Ketchikan , Alaska Territory ) is an American politician of the Republican Party . He was Governor of Alaska from 2002 to 2006 and previously US Senator for that state from 1981 to 2002 . After moving from senatorial office to governor, he appointed his daughter Lisa Murkowski as his successor in the Senate.

Life

Murkowski graduated from Ketchikan High School in 1951, then initially attended Santa Clara University , but graduated from Seattle University with a degree in economics in 1955 . Both are Jesuit universities. He then served in the US Coast Guard until 1957 , worked for the Pacific National Bank in Seattle and attended the Pacific Coast Banking School.

When Murkowski was appointed Commissioner of Economic Development in Alaska in 1966, he was 33 years old at the time and was the youngest commissioner to hold this post. In 1971 he became the president of the Alaska National Bank of the North; his family then moved to Fairbanks . He was also President of the Alaska Bankers Association and the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce. In 1970 he applied for the only mandate of his state in the US House of Representatives , but was defeated by the Democrat Nick Begich .

Murkowski was elected to the US Senate in 1980, where he represented Alaska for the next 22 years. His most prominent role during his tenure in the Senate was Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee from 1995 to 2001. He has also served on the Finance and Veterans Committees and the Committee on Indian Affairs.

On November 5, 2002, Frank Murkowski was elected Governor of Alaska, where he prevailed against the candidate of the Democratic Party, Fran Ulmer . He replaced the Democrat Tony Knowles and took office on December 2, 2002. His subsequent decision to appoint his daughter Lisa Murkowski as his successor in the Senate, which he did not want to announce during the election campaign, was harshly criticized and led to the abolition of this role of governor by a referendum.

As governor, Murkowski focused on stimulating the state economy through resource development and strengthening education and public safety systems. He also made a name for himself as a champion against drug abuse. In the August 2006 Republican gubernatorial primaries , he was beaten third with 19 percent of the vote, after Sarah Palin and John Binkley. His term of office expired on December 4, 2006.

Murkowski is married. He and his wife have six grown children.

Web links

• Frank Murkowski in the National Governors Association (English)
• Personal web presence (English)
• Frank Murkowski in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)
• Frank Murkowski in the nndb (English)