During the 1796 presidential election, most voters were Federalists or Democratic-Republicans. Federalist elector Samuel Miles refused to support his own party’s candidate, saying he chose not to vote for Adams, thus becoming our nation’s first faithless high level official.
On Oct. 6, Alaska voters had their own faithless official: Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Voters from across Alaska, representing diverse interests, including those of the Alaska Federation of Natives, urged Murkowski to vote against Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation as a Supreme Court justice. Despite that, she punted. Her “present” vote likewise betrayed her own party by not supporting Kavanaugh.
Instead of representing the wishes of Alaskans on either side of the issue, she chose to disenfranchise all Alaskans. Instead of fulfilling her pledge to represent Alaska voters, she chose to represent North Dakota voters by doing a personal favor for their senator. Whose votes is she counting on when she runs for re-election — North Dakotans?
— Jacqueline Winter Stringham
Soldotna
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