# 2004 United States Senate election in Alaska

Elections in Alaska :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries and caucuses
Democratic
2008
2016
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2012
2016
2024
U.S. Senate elections
1958
1960
1962
1966
1968
1970 sp
1972
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2008
2010
2014
2016
2020
2022
2026
2028
U.S. House of Representatives elections
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1973 sp
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022 sp
2022
2024 :
State government
Statewide elections
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
Gubernatorial elections
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Senate elections
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
House of Representatives elections
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Ballot measures
1990
2
1998
2
2008
ACWI
2014
2
2020
2
2024
2 :
Anchorage
Mayoral elections
1975
1978
1981
1984
1987
1990
1994
1997
2000
2003
2006
2009
2012
2015
2018
2021
2024
Propositions
2018 (1) :
vte :
The 2004 United States Senate election in Alaska took place on November 2, 2004, alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives, various state and local elections, and the presidential election of that year. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Anchorage, sought election to her first full term after being appointed by her father Frank Murkowski to serve out the rest of the latter's unexpired term when he resigned in December 2002 to become Governor of Alaska. Her main challenger was Democratic former governor Tony Knowles, her father's predecessor as governor. Murkowski won by a slight margin. As of 2022, Lisa Murkowski’s vote total of 149,773 votes remains the most raw votes she has ever received during any of her runs for the US Senate. This victory made Lisa Murkowski the first woman ever elected in the Congress from the state of Alaska.

## Background

Although Alaska is heavily Republican, popular opinion had swung against the Murkowski family because of a tax increase passed by Governor Frank Murkowski, Lisa Murkowski's father. In addition, many voters disapproved of apparent nepotism in the appointment of Lisa Murkowski to the Senate. Knowles, who as mentioned above preceded Frank Murkowski as governor, had enlisted extensive out-of-state support for his bid to take over Lisa Murkowski's Senate seat. However, veteran Republican Senator Ted Stevens taped advertisements warning Alaskans that electing a Democrat could result in fewer federal dollars for Alaska.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates

* Tony Knowles, businessman, former governor and former mayor of Anchorage
* Theresa Obermeyer, former Anchorage school board member and 1996 Democratic U.S. Senate nominee
* Don Wright, former president of the Alaska Federation of Natives and perennial candidate

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Tony Knowles | 40,881 | 95.0% |
| | Democratic | Don Wright | 1,080 | 2.5% |
| | Democratic | Theresa Obermeyer | 1,045 | 2.4% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 43,006 | 100.0% |

## Republican primary
### Candidates

* Jim Dore, aviation mechanic
* Mike W. Miller, businessman, former state senator, former state representative, nominee for lieutenant governor in 1994 and younger brother of Terry Miller
* Lisa Murkowski, incumbent U.S. Senator since 2002, formerly an Anchorage lawyer and member of the Alaska House
* Wev Shea, former U.S. Attorney for Alaska

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Lisa Murkowski (incumbent) | 45,710 | 58.1% |
| | Republican | Mike Miller | 29,313 | 37.3% |
| | Republican | Wev Shea | 2,857 | 3.6% |
| | Republican | Jim Dore | 748 | 0.9% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 78,628 | 100.0% |

## General election
### Candidates
#### Major

* Tony Knowles, former governor
* Lisa Murkowski (R), incumbent U.S. Senator

#### Minor

* Ted Gianoutsos (I), lobbyist and activist on ANWR and veterans issues
* Scott Kohlhaas (L), party activist and perennial candidate
* Marc Millican (I), aviator, U.S. Air Force veteran
* Jerry Sanders (AI), businessman, former state representative
* Jim Sykes (G), party activist and perennial candidate

### Campaign

Lisa Murkowski had very low approval ratings as senator due to her father, Frank Murkowski, who at the time was the governor of Alaska with extremely low approval ratings himself. Former governor Tony Knowles ran against Murkowski. He ran as a Democrat who supported drilling in ANWR, in contrast to most Democrats. Alaska's senior senator, Ted Stevens, worked to rescue her campaign and help her maintain her seat.

### Debates

* Complete video of debate, October 26, 2004
* Complete video of debate, October 28, 2004

### Predictions

| Source | Ranking | As of |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean D (flip) | November 1, 2004 |

### Polling

| Poll source | Dates administered | Murkowski (R) | Knowles (D) |
| KTUU | October 4, 2004 | 45% | 48% |
| KTUU | October 18, 2004 | 45% | 47% |
| McLaughlin | October 28, 2004 | 48% | 43% |

### Results

2004 United States Senate election in Alaska :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Lisa Murkowski (incumbent) | 149,773 | 48.58% | −25.91% |
| | Democratic | Tony Knowles | 140,424 | 45.55% | +25.82% |
| | Independent | Marc J. Millican | 8,885 | 2.88% | |
| | Independence | Jerry Sanders | 3,785 | 1.23% | |
| | Green | Jim Sykes | 3,053 | 0.99% | 2.22% |
| | Libertarian | Scott A. Kohlhaas | 1,240 | 0.40% | −1.87% |
| | Independent | Ted Gianoutsas | 732 | 0.24% | |
| | Write-ins | | 423 | 0.14% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,349 | 3.03% | −51.74% |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 308,315 | | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Swing | | |

#### Boroughs and census areas that flipped from Republican to Democratic

* Aleutians West Census Area (largest city: Unalaska)
* Bethel Census Area (largest city: Bethel)
* Kusilvak Census Area (largest city: Hooper Bay)
* Nome Census Area (largest city: Nome)
* Dilingham Census Area (largest city: Dilingham)
* Lake & Peninsula Borough (largest city: Newhalen)
* North Slope Borough (largest city: Utqiaġvik)
* Northwest Arctic Borough (largest city: Kotzebue)
* Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area (largest city: Craig)
* Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area (largest city: Fort Yukon)
* Juneau
* Sitka
* Hoonah–Angoon Census Area (largest town: Hoonah)
* Yakutat
* Petersburg
* Skagway
* Ketchikan Gateway Borough (largest city: Ketchikan)
* Bristol Bay Borough (largest city: Naknek)