According to Murkowski's friends and colleagues, she's received a "huge outpouring of support" following her defeat in the Alaska Senate primary August 24. That's leading to speculation that she could show up on the November ballot under the libertarian party line.
Murkowski has yet to endorse her Republican rival, leading to widespread speculation that she is evaluating options for a possible re-entry into the race. She has two options if she wants to re-enter: to be invited to run under the banner of the Alaska Libertarian Party or to mount a write-in campaign....
The deadline to make a switch is Sept. 15.
The state party’s leadership earlier voted to not take on Murkowski, but Alaska Libertarian Party Chairman Scott Kohlhaas told the Anchorage Daily News recently that discussions have occurred since then.
Speculation that she might make the switch is heating up because of a poll showing strong post-primary support for Murkowski.
A new poll shows Alaskans might be interested in Sen. Lisa Murkowski staying in the race for U.S. Senate. Murkowski's friend, Andrew Halcro, commissioned a poll showing that in a three-way Senate race Murkowski comes out on top....
“Lisa Murkowski has a 64 percent positive and a 35 percent negative; Joe Miller had a 41 percent positive and a 50 percent negative,” Halcro said. “I have to say, in all my years of watching politics, I've never seen somebody so new to politics have such a high negative rating as Joe Miller.”
The Libertarian switch is the only one available to her under Alaska election law, as it's the only other party that has a candidate on the November ballot. This would mean that the current Libertarian candidate, David Haase, would have to cede his spot to her. He says that "he's willing to sit down with Murkowski and talk with her about switching parties to stay in the race," but wants he has conditions: "If Lisa Murkowski will take up the banner of the people's bailout, then she'll have my support," said Haase, 68. "But with sincerity and for real," he added, chuckling. "I'm not going to buy a pig in a poke here."
The poll Halcro commissioned basically mirrors the PPP poll finding about Miller's lack of popularity in the state, but PPP had Murkowski still narrowly losing in a three-way race. The acrimony and nastiness from the Miller campaign directed at Murkowski following the primary could have swayed some of those polled and bolstered Murkowski. Expect, at the very least, more speculation fueled by Murkowski associates on her third party run. But whether the Libertarians will agree to it remains very much in question.