Trump-backed Alaska candidate Bernadette Wilson blasts Murkowski for endorsing Democrat Kreiss-Tomkins Alaska Republican gubernatorial candidate Bernadette Wilson says Sen. Lisa Murkowski's endorsement of Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins was no surprise, calling them two peas in a pod on taxes and oil policy. Alaska Republican gubernatorial candidate Bernadette Wilson said she was not surprised that Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, crossed party lines to endorse her Democratic opponent in the governor's race. Murkowski endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on Tuesday. Wilson told Fox News Digital the two share similar views on taxation and Alaska's oil industry. It should not surprise anyone. They are two peas in a pod, and I can tell you that as governor, Wilson told Fox News Digital.Murkowski Endorses Kreiss-Tomkins in Alaska RaceIt does not surprise me that she is supporting the just keep taxing JKT, Wilson continued. She described Kreiss-Tomkins as the guy who supports an increase in income tax and wants to double the fuel tax in Alaska. She also said he is the guy who has said he will come after the oil companies, and the guy who does not support paying out a full permanent fund dividend.At a candidate forum hosted by the Alaska Oil and Gas Association, Kreiss-Tomkins said he believes broad-based tax and revenues of that nature are likely going to be necessary to balance our budget. Wilson argued that Kreiss-Tomkins economic policies align with Murkowski's, accusing both politicians of supporting what she described as socialist policies. The Republican candidate said she has been sounding the alarm since 2010 about the fact that Murkowski was subscribing to extreme liberal socialist policies.Wilson also said she would not assign motive to Murkowski's decision to endorse Kreiss-Tomkins, though she did not rule out the possibility that the endorsement was intended as a rebuke of President Donald Trump. Wilson is the Trump-backed Republican in the race. Murkowski has drawn criticism from conservatives over her votes and her willingness to break with the party.Murkowski Criticizes SAVE America Act in Op-EdIn an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal in July, Murkowski wrote that as written, the SAVE America Act is not a simple fix to safeguard elections, as proponents claim. She wrote that it would impose costly new barriers and prevent some, perhaps many, from voting, while also creating chaos before the November elections. Murkowski has also been a vocal voice on the War Powers Resolution.Her breaks with the GOP have fueled primary and general election challenges over the years. If elected governor, Wilson pledged in her video interview that she would continue to sound the alarm about Murkowski, whom she described as a so-called Republican senator. Republican Bernadette Wilson, who is running for governor in Alaska, speaks during a candidate forum in Juneau, Alaska, on Oct. 7, 2026, as Democratic candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins looks on.Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks to reporters as the Senate votes on amendments to a reconciliation package, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. , on June 5, 2026. The endorsement comes as Alaska advances nominees for governor in a ranked-choice slugfest. A former state representative topped that contest as Alaska moves forward.National Attention on Alaska Governor RaceThe race has drawn national attention as Republicans seek to hold the governor's mansion and Democrats look to flip it with Kreiss-Tomkins at the top of the ticket. Wilson has centered her campaign on opposing tax increases, supporting a full permanent fund dividend and pushing back on policies she says would hurt Alaska's oil and gas industry.Kreiss-Tomkins has argued that broad-based revenue measures may be needed to close the state's budget gap, a position Wilson says proves he and Murkowski are aligned. The endorsement from Murkowski gives Kreiss-Tomkins a boost with moderate and independent voters in a state where the senator remains a well-known figure despite criticism from the right.Wilson said she will keep making the case that Murkowski and Kreiss-Tomkins would pursue the same economic agenda if given the chance, and she pledged to continue raising the issue through Election Day.