Murkowski Voices Support For Treadwell For Interior Secretary

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There are plenty of Alaskans attached to reports of President-elect Donald Trump’s short list for Secretary of Interior. Various media reports have the list including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, former State Senate President Drue Pearce, investor and anti-pebble mine activist Bob Gillam, Alyeska Pipeline President Tom Barret, and even former State Senator Jerry Ward.

Now Senator Lisa Murkowski is going public with her choice for the post. She prefers former Alaska Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell.

According to Politico:

“MURKOWSKI WANTS AN ALASKAN AT INTERIOR: Sen. Lisa Murkowskiwill play a key role in confirming whoever Trump nominates for Interior secretary, and she would prefer that person hail rom her home state. “I think right now there’s still a lot of people in the mix. We’ve got some Alaskans. I’m pretty keen on Mead Treadwell, I think he would do a good job at the Department of Interior, and I have said so,” the Energy and Natural Resources chairwoman told ME Wednesday, referring to the state’s former lieutenant governor, whose name has circulated among Trump’s possible picks.”

If Treadwell wants the job he’ll have to fend off another emerging candidate who can give Trump and Republicans in the Senate something he can’t; an additional Republican senate seat.

The Daily Caller is reporting current North Dakota Democratic Senator Hiedi Heitkamp is now also in the running:

“President-Elect Donald Trump will meet with a red state Democratic lawmaker Friday for a potential cabinet job that would give Republicans another crucial seat in the Senate.”

“Trump will meet North Dakota Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp at Trump Tower to discuss a possible cabinet role, which would give North Dakotans the the chance to elect another senator.”

“When a North Dakota senate seat is vacated, the governor has to hold a special election within 95 days to fill it.”

“That’s good news for Republicans. Trump won North Dakota by a 36 percentage point margin in the 2016 election. Republican Sen. John Hoeven won his reelection this year by a nearly 62-point margin over his Democratic opponent.”

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