AP:
Sen. Lisa Murkowski faced a primary challenge Tuesday from three fellow Republicans who say she is not conservative enough and have denounced her rise to power as blatant nepotism.
The Republican winner will likely take on former two-term Gov. Tony Knowles, a popular Democrat whose presence in the race has transformed heavily GOP Alaska into an unlikely battleground in the fight for control of the Senate. Knowles faced token opposition Tuesday.
Murkowski, 47, is a former state lawmaker who was appointed to the Senate in 2002 by her father, newly elected Gov. Frank Murkowski. The 22-year senator gave his seat to his daughter after the Legislature changed state law to allow the new governor and not the incumbent -- Knowles in this case -- to fill Senate vacancies.
Murkowski's challengers have made nepotism an issue in the race, along with attacking her credentials as a conservative.
Lisa Murkowski
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at 7:44 PM PDT
