In Alaska, when politicians talk about the NPR, it’s not National Public Radio. It’s the National Petroleum Reserve. And on March 18, 2026, Alaska’s Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, issued a press release taking credit for the “most successful oil and gas lease sale ever held in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A).” It drew 430 bids on nearly 200 tracts across 1.3 million acres. High bids totaled $163 million which seems low, but I’m no expert. Read the release here.

On another note, President Trump signed 26 Executive Orders on January 20, 2025. One was to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for development. It sought to roll back protections installed by Biden officials from 2021-24, including provisions for an indigenous burial site and restrictions on hunting and fishing on federal lands. Opponents have tied it up in court because Trump didn’t bother to get Congressional approval. Read the EO here.

The Republican Party owns Alaska – both U.S. senators; the sole U.S. representative; 12 of 21 state senators and 20 of 41 state house members. (Democrats hold 14 seats in the state house with the others spread among independents and one vacancy.) In 2024, Trump carried Alaska by 14 points.

Mary Peltola

Yet recent polling shows Democratic candidate Mary Peltola leading incumbent U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan. Peltola does best in off-year elections. She actually beat former Gov. Sarah Palin in 2022 to win election to Alaska’s only U.S. House seat, serving until she was beaten in the Trump surge of 2024 by the current incumbent.

Key to Peltola chances is her favorability rating of 49 percent with 41 percent unfavorable, while Sullivan polls at 41 percent favorable with 51 percent unfavorable. Poll here.

Lisa Murkowski is among my favorite senators – top five. She has served in the Senate since 2002 when Gov. Frank Murkowski appointed her to the seat he had vacated to run for governor. Frank Murkowski had served in the U.S. Senate from 1981-2022. And yes, Frank, now 93, is Lisa’s father.

Subsequently, she has won four 6-year terms including in 2010 when she was beaten in the Republican Primary and ran in the general election as a write-in. She won. Only the second time in history that a U.S. senator was elected as a write-in and you can bet that guy was not named Murkowski. (It was Strom Thurmond, South Carolina, 1954.)

But Murkowski is not on the ballot. The 2026 race is between Republican Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola.

Dan Sullivan, 61, has served in the Senate since January 2015. Has 30 years in the Marine Corps and holds a degree in economics from Harvard and a law degree from Georgetown. Read about him here.

Mary Peltola’s slogan is “Fish, Family, Freedom.” Read about her here. And remember that successful 2010 write-in campaign for Murkowski? It was chaired by Mary Peltola.

Frank Winston Fellows finalists: Twelve finalists for six positions were on campus at Winston College of Law last week for two days of interviews, programming and a glimpse into the Winston Law community – complete with good food, conversation and a little friendly competition on the bowling lanes. Established by The Gatton Foundation in honor of Frank Winston (‘52), the Winston Fellows program supports students of exceptional character and promise who are pursuing public interest law and business law. While six will be selected, we hope this is just the beginning of a Volunteer journey for all 12 candidates, per the social media post.

Sarah Campbell to speak at Winston Law graduation

Sarah Campbell

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah K. Campbell (‘04) is the keynote speaker for the Winston College of Law’s spring 2026 commencement.

Justice Campbell has served on the Tennessee Supreme Court since February 2022, following her appointment by Gov. Bill Lee and confirmation by the Tennessee General Assembly. Before joining the Court, she served in the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office and practiced at Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, D.C. She also clerked for Judge William H. Pryor Jr. (11th Circuit) and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. (U.S. Supreme Court).

Commencement is May 14 at 10 a.m. at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Read more here.

Blotter

DA Charme Allen announced three cases last week:

  • Major Crimes Unit obtained a 24-year sentence against a 45-year-old man who raped an unconscious woman and video recorded the crime. The rape occurred on December 17, 2024, and the perp had two previous felony convictions. More here.
  • DUI Unit obtained an enhanced sentence for a 48-year-old woman who wrecked her car on Maynardville Pike after consuming alcohol and multiple drugs on March 6, 2024. The mandatory minimum for a DUI First Offense is 48 hours in custody with a $350 fine DUI School, and a license revocation of one year. This offender was given an enhanced sentence of 65 days. More here.
  • Domestic Violence Unit obtained convictions against an intoxicated 52-year-old man who pointed a handgun at his wife and her friend on March 22, 2024, in the Halls area. The case was set for sentencing on June 18, 2026, and the defendant faces a sentence of 3 to 10 years. More here.

KFD at Café 4: On Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 6:23 a.m., the Knoxville Fire Department responded to a report of smoke behind Café 4, at 4 Market Square. Crews arrived to find a small fire in a room off the rear of the building. The building’s fire sprinkler system had contained the fire, which caused minimal damage to the exterior of the business. KFD investigators determined the fire had been intentionally set. Nearby surveillance video captured the incident, and investigators located and arrested the suspect, a 36-year-old male. He was transported to the Roger D. Wilson Detention Facility.

Notes & Quotes

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral argument on Wednesday in Trump v. Barbara, the birthright citizenship case. The 14th Amendment provides that “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” It’s the source of “birthright citizenship,” which makes anyone born on U.S. soil, regardless of the immigration status of their parents, a citizen.

Quote: “Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.” – Proverbs 17:28 KJV (Mark Twain may have said it, but not first.)

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