Frank Murkowski

Frank Murkowski
Frank Murkowski
8th Governor of Alaska
In office
December 2, 2002 – December 4, 2006
Lieutenant Loren D. Leman
Preceded by Tony Knowles
Succeeded by Sarah Palin
United States Senator
from Alaska
In office
January 3, 1981 – December 2, 2002
Preceded by Mike Gravel
Succeeded by Lisa Murkowski
3rd Alaska Commissioner of Economic Development
In office
1966–1970
Preceded by William M. Dickson
Succeeded by Everett W. Buness
Personal details
Born March 28, 1933 (1933-03-28) (age 78)
Seattle, Washington
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Nancy Rena Murkowski
(née Gore, m. 1954)
Children Carol Victoria Sturgulewski
(b. ca. 1956)
Lisa Murkowski
(b. 1957)
Michael Francis Murkowski
(b. ca. 1959)
Eileen Marie Van Wyhe
(b. 1960)
Mary Catherine Judson
(b. ca. 1961)
Brian Patrick Murkowski
(b. ca. 1968)
Residence Fairbanks, Alaska
Alma mater University of Santa Clara
Seattle University
Profession Banker, Politician
Religion Roman Catholic
Military service
Service/branch United States Coast Guard
Years of service 1955-1956

Francis Hughes Murkowski (pronounced /mərˈkaʊski/; 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 the eighth Governor of Alaska from 2002 until 2006.

Contents

Early life and career

Born in Seattle, Washington to Frank and Helen (née Hughes),[1] Murkowski attended Ketchikan High School in Alaska, graduating in 1951. Studying at Santa Clara University from 1951 to 1953, he gained a BS in economics from Seattle University in 1955.[2] Thereafter, he served in the United States Coast Guard until 1957 - the same year his daughter Lisa was born.[2] After a stint at Pacific National Bank and further study at Pacific Coast Banking School, Murkowski became Alaska's youngest commissioner at the time when he was appointed Commissioner of Economic Development, aged 33, and was elevated to the presidency of the Alaska National Bank of the North in 1971. He has also headed the Alaska Bankers Association and - in 1977 -[3] the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce.[4]

U.S. Senate

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.

In a floor statement in the Senate, regarding the bar of homosexuals serving in the military, Mr. Murkowski stated that homosexuals have a right to choose their lifestyle, but there exists no right to serve. In his opposition to lifting the ban, his speech focused on the cost affect on the Veterans Administration in treating service members infected with HIV.[5] His successor in the Senate, his daughter, Lisa Murkowski voted to repeal the ban on homosexuals in the armed services.[6]

Governor

Murkowski was elected governor on November 5, 2002, receiving nearly 56% of the vote, the highest percentage for any gubernatorial candidate in Alaska history up until that point.[7] He succeeded 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. His opponents derided the appointment as an act of nepotism.

Toward the end of his administration he brokered a deal for a gas pipeline that was never considered, in final form, by the legislature. Murkowski threatened to sign the deal without legislative approval, but the legislature successfully brought a lawsuit to enjoin him from doing so.

Governor Murkowski ran for re-election in 2006, but came in third behind former Wasilla mayor and future Republican Party vice-presidential nominee 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%).[8] Most polls had predicted this result.[citation needed] Murkowski left office with one of the nation's worst approval ratings of 19%.[9]

On March 4, 2008, Murkowski's former chief-of-staff, Jim Clark admitted that he was aware that Veco Corp had paid $10,000 for a political poll to gauge the popularity of then-incumbent Governor Murkowski. Clark was charged with "honest services fraud". Before he was sentenced, the US Supreme Court ruled that the statute was drafted with unconstitutional vagueness and henceforth will only cover "fraudulent schemes to deprive another of honest services through bribes or kickbacks supplied by a third party who ha[s] not been deceived." Since Clark was guilty of neither bribes or kickbacks, all charges were voided.

In all, Murkowski spent two years in the armed services, 22 years as Alaska's junior senator in D.C. and four years as governor.

Jet plane scandal

In 2005, in spite of opposition from the Alaska Legislature, Murkowski purchased a Westwind II jet with state money for $2.7 million.[10] This purchase became the symbol of his unpopular legacy in state politics, so much so that his successor, Sarah Palin, promised to sell the jet once she became governor.[11]

Electoral history

  • United States House of Representatives election in Alaska, 1970
  • United States Senate election in Alaska, 1986
    • Frank Murkowski (R) (inc.), 55%
    • Glenn Olds (D), 45%
  • United States Senate election in Alaska, 1992
    • Frank Murkowski (R) (inc.), 53%
    • Tony Smith (D), 38%
    • Mary Jordan (Grn.), 8%
  • United States Senate election in Alaska, 1998
    • Frank Murkowski (R) (inc.), 75%
    • Joe Sonneman (D), 20%

References

  1. ^ Kestenbaum, Lawrence. "TPG: Murkowski". The Political Graveyard. http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/murfee-murphree.html#MURKOWSKI. Retrieved August 21, 2011. 
  2. ^ a b "NNDB: Murkowski". NNDB. http://www.nndb.com/people/355/000044223/. Retrieved August 21, 2011. 
  3. ^ "Murkowski, Frank Hughes". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M001085. Retrieved August 21, 2011. 
  4. ^ "Alaska Governor Frank H. Murkowski". National Governors Association. 
  5. ^ [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?r103:12:./temp/~r103xpXFd0:e67713: "Congressional Record 103rd Congress (1993-1994) FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT OF 1993 (Senate - February 4, 1993)"]. THOMAS. Library of Congress. http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?r103:12:./temp/~r103xpXFd0:e67713:. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 
  6. ^ "Senate Vote 281 - Repeals ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’". The New York Times. December 18, 2010. http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/111/senate/2/281?ref=politics. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 
  7. ^ Fellow Republican Sean Parnell won around 59% in 2010.
  8. ^ State of Alaska Division of Elections: "2006 Primary Election Results.". Retrieved March 16, 2007.
  9. ^ "AK Gov". SurveyUSA. http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollTrack.aspx?g=d8fa8def-c3b2-4649-81c5-01da9c1cd73e. Retrieved June 20, 2010. 
  10. ^ Yardley, William (August 25, 2007). "Jet That Helped Defeat an Alaska Governor Is Sold". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/25/us/25jet.html. Retrieved April 2, 2010. 
  11. ^ "Governor travel shot up with Murkowski's jet, plummets with Palin". Juneau Empire. http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/040808/sta_267202920.shtml. Retrieved June 20, 2010. 

External links

United States Senate
Preceded by
Mike Gravel
United States Senator (Class 3) from Alaska
1981–2002
Served alongside: Ted Stevens
Succeeded by
Lisa Murkowski
Political offices
Preceded by
Alan K. Simpson
Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee
1985–1987
Succeeded by
Alan Cranston
Preceded by
J. Bennett Johnston
Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
1995–2001
Succeeded by
Jeff Bingaman
Preceded by
Tony Knowles
Governor of Alaska
2002–2006
Succeeded by
Sarah Palin
Party political offices
Preceded by
C.R. Lewis
Republican nominee for United States Senator from Alaska
(Class 3)

1980, 1986, 1992, 1998
Succeeded by
Lisa Murkowski
Preceded by
John Howard Lindauer
Republican nominee for Governor of Alaska
2002
Succeeded by
Sarah Palin

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Frank Murkowski — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Frank Murkowski Senador por Alaska Precedido por …   Wikipedia Español

  • Frank Murkowski — Francis Hughes „Frank“ Murkowski (* 28. März 1933 in Ketchikan, Alaska) ist ein US amerikanischer Politiker (Republikanische Partei) und ehemaliger Gouverneur von Alaska. Zuvor war er von 1981 bis 2002 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Frank Murkowski — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Murkowski. Frank Murkowski …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Murkowski — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Frank Murkowski (* 1933), polnisch amerikanischer Politiker und Gouverneur von Alaska Lisa Murkowski (* 1957), US Senatorin Alaskas Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Murkowski — puede referirse a: Frank Murkowski Lisa Murkowski Esta página de desambiguación cataloga artículos relacionados con el mismo título. Si llegaste aquí a través de u …   Wikipedia Español

  • Murkowski — may refer to: Frank Murkowski (born 1933), U.S. politician, Senator (1981–2002) and Governor of Alaska (2002–2006) Lisa Murkowski, daughter of the former, U.S. politician, incumbent Senator from Alaska (since 2002) This disambiguation page lists… …   Wikipedia

  • Murkowski —  Cette page d’homonymie répertorie des personnes (réelles ou fictives) partageant un même patronyme. Classement par ordre alphabétique du prénom Frank Murkowski (1933 ), homme politique américain ; Lisa Murkowski (1957 ), femme… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Frank Lautenberg — Frank Raleigh Lautenberg (né le 23 janvier 1924 à Paterson au New Jersey) est un homme politique américain, membre du Parti démocrate et sénateur du New Jersey au Congrès des États Unis de 1983 à 2001 et depu …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Lisa Murkowski — Infobox Senator | name=Lisa Murkowski jr/sr=Junior Senator state=Alaska party=Republican alongside=Ted Stevens term start=December 20, 2002 preceded=Frank Murkowski religion= Roman Catholic date of birth=birth date and age |1957|05|22 place of… …   Wikipedia

  • Lisa Ann Murkowski — Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann Murkowski (* 22. Mai 1957 in Ketchikan, Alaska) ist seit Dezember 2002 US Senatorin Alaskas. Sie ist die Tochter des ehemaligen Gouverneurs von Alaska Frank Murkowski und Mitglied der Republikanischen Partei …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”