Democrat Gray-Jackson ends US Senate run in Alaska

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Democrat Elvi Gray-Jackson said Friday that she is ending her run for U.S. Senate in Alaska and instead will seek reelection to the state Senate.

Gray-Jackson, in a statement released by her campaign, said that as first-quarter fundraising concludes “and after some deep reflection on our current system and the monumental expenses necessary to run a successful campaign, I have decided that my best efforts to change that system and to change Alaska will be done in the Senate in Juneau.”

Gray-Jackson had been the only Democrat who had so far filed to run for the U.S. Senate seat, which is held by Republican Lisa Murkowski. Gray-Jackson had filed as a candidate last month.

Murkowski, who is seeking reelection, reported having about $4.3 million available at the end of the last quarter, which ended Dec. 31. Murkowski at that time held a huge cash-on-hand advantage over Republican Kelly Tshibaka, who began running late last March and has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump. One other challenger who had reported raising funds, Libertarian Sean Thorne, lagged far behind both.

Gray-Jackson, in the statement, said she looks “forward to supporting a new candidate who represents the best of Alaska’s ideals to challenge” Murkowski.