Conservative Victories Require Primary Challenges Within the GOP to Root Out the RINOs

By: Shawn Fleetwood | Commentary, The Federalist

Another week in American politics wouldn’t be complete without an elected Republican betraying constituents.

That’s what happened on Tuesday when Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, announced her opposition to the latest iteration of the SAVE Act. The bill (now the “SAVE America Act”) seeks to mandate widely supported photo ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements in federal elections.

In her “principled stand” against what she called efforts to “have federalized elections,” Murkowski referenced previous attempts by Democrats “to advance sweeping election reform legislation in 2021” — which she claimed “Republicans were unanimous” in opposing. She then tried to justify her cowardice by falling back on the Constitution, writing, “Not only does the U.S. Constitution clearly provide states the authority to regulate the ‘times, places, and manner’ of holding federal elections, but one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington, D.C., seldom work in places like Alaska.”

When Democrats attempted to advance sweeping election reform legislation in 2021, Republicans were unanimous in opposition because it would have federalized elections, something we have long opposed. Now, I’m seeing proposals such as the SAVE Act and MEGA that would effectively…

— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) February 10, 2026

“Election Day is fast approaching. Imposing new federal requirements now, when states are deep into their preparations, would negatively impact election integrity by forcing election officials to scramble to adhere to new policies likely without the necessary resources. Ensuring public trust in our elections is at the core of our democracy, but federal overreach is not how we achieve this,” the liberal Republican wrote.

As one of the few GOP senators choosing not to sponsor the SAVE Act or its successor, Murkowski’s (unsurprising) excuse is pathetic and laughable on multiple fronts.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE FEDERALIST

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