Watching Government: Back home

Nov. 5, 2001
Oil companies may lose an important Washington, DC, ally soon.

Oil companies may lose an important Washington, DC, ally soon.

Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alas.), until recently the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, will run for Alaska governor next year. He told reporters he will be a more effective governor than a senator in the minority party. Democrats took control of the Senate last May.

"Now, I'm not setting America's energy policy in the United States Senate. [New Mexico Sen.] Jeff Bingaman is," he said Oct. 23.

Yet, given the Senate Democrats' narrow majority, Republicans could regain control over energy policy in a year or two. But Murkowski says his time has come and gone. Seniority rules limit him from reassuming the post, and no other committee chairman posts will be available for 8 years.

If Republicans regained control, party leaders would likely offer the energy committee chair to another veteran industry supporter, Pete Domenici from New Mexico. The two men have very similar records on industry issues.

Muted ANWR

Leasing a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge may not take center stage, though. Domenici supports ANWR leasing but is not required to have the same dogged devotion to the issue an Alaskan politician must have.

During his 6 years as chairman, Murkowski embraced ANWR with sheer single-mindedness; his counterpart in the House-Alaska's only representative-Don Young, was just as focused when he oversaw the House Committee on Resources. Alaska's other voice on Capitol Hill, Republican "senator for life" Ted Stevens, also played a pivotal role as chairman of the Committee on Appropriations.

ANWR is so controversial that even with Alaskans overseeing key leadership posts, leasing hasn't happened. But even if ANWR legislation does not pass this Congress, Mur- kowski during his 21-year tenure can cite several legislative victories when he goes on the campaign trail next year.

In 1998, for example, he, Stevens, and Young secured a 47% increase in funding for transportation improvements in Alaska. Murkowski also was instrumental in helping lead a 1995 bipartisan effort to repeal the North Slope crude oil export ban.

Frontrunner

That legislative record has served Murkowski well so far: In his last Senate election, in 1998, he won by a 75% margin. Now he is the early favorite to win the Republican governor nomination. Young, the only other possible strong contender for governor, says he wants to stay in the House.

Assuming Murkowski wins the Republican primary, the likely opponent in the general election will be Lt. Gov. Fran Ulmer (D). State term limits restrict Democratic Gov. Tony Knowles from seeking a third term. In the interim, Murkowski will stay in office; victory is not assured, given that the state has not had a Republican governor since 1978.

If Murkowski wins, he plans to resign the Senate seat and then choose a Republican successor to fill out the term that expires in 2004. Then it would be up to Alaska's voters to decide who held the seat next.