'Rare Republican senator with principles' wins praise for telling Trump to 'butt out'

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told President Donald Trump’s Justice Department to stay out of her state’s Senate race. That earned her a rare round of applause from people who don’t usually cheer Republicans.“Alaskans don’t need any help voting for their preferred candidates, and the State of Alaska has already handled this by clearly distinguishing the candidates on this year’s ballot,” Murkowski wrote on X Friday. “The Department of Justice should never have filed this lawsuit.”The DOJ suit, which Trump has said he ordered, asks a federal judge to block certification of the race if Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan loses to Democrat Mary Peltola. The department argues that voters may have confused the senator with Daniel J. Sullivan, another candidate on the ballot. Alaska lists the senator as “Incumbent” and the other Sullivan with no party label.Murkowski’s post spread fast, and reporters quickly picked it up.“Murkowski tells DOJ to butt...