Lisa Murkowski was born May 22, 1957, in Ketchikan. Her family’s deep Alaskan roots were strengthened by living in towns across the state – Anchorage, Juneau, Wrangell and Fairbanks.

Lisa’s first foray into politics was at age 17 when she served as the Fairbanks office manager for Walter J. Hickel’s 1974 gubernatorial campaign. Lisa later earned a BA in economics from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., in 1980. She spent the next two years working as a legislative aide in Juneau and becoming active in state Republican politics.

After earning a law degree in 1985 from Willamette University, Lisa returned to Anchorage, where she met restaurant owner Verne Martell. The couple married in 1987, and opened a wholesale pasta business. They have two sons: Nicolas, 19, and Matthew, 17.

Lisa worked as a court attorney for the Third Judicial District Court in Anchorage, and with a commercial law firm for eight years before opening her own practice. She also became an active member of the community, serving on boards and commissions, ranging from the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission to Alaskans for Drug-Free Youth. She renewed her interest in politics in 1998, winning election to the state House of Representatives.

During her years in the state House, Lisa earned a reputation for candor and an ability to bridge political divides. Her colleagues tapped her to be House Majority Leader for the 2003-04 term.

Lisa was appointed to the U.S. Senate in December 2002. The first Alaskan-born member of Congress to serve the state, she became just the 33rd woman to serve in the U.S. Senate since its founding in 1789.

Lisa won re-election in 2004. Since then she has risen quickly in seniority, being selected by her fellow senators to serve as vice chair of the Senate Republican Conference, the fifth-highest party leadership position in the U.S. Senate. Lisa also serves as the ranking Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

As a senator, Lisa has fought for issues important to Alaska. She’s working to bring better paying jobs to the state. She’s a strong advocate for construction of a natural gas pipeline and developing both the onshore and offshore resources of Alaska’s northern coast. She is also working to ensure federal taxes remain low, that federal education policy is implemented in a fair way in Alaska, and that Second Amendment rights are protected.