Challenger primed to face GOP's longtime Senate dissenter as Trump brings new focus to Alaska

The last governor to resign to run for higher office - 2008 vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin - "never recovered," the source said. 

"Trump has talked to him before about running and wants him to run."

Despite being a red state, it is an "uphill climb" to get elected governor as a Republican, another source close to the situation told Fox News Digital Wednesday.

Former Gov. Jay Hammond was the last Republican to win reelection there, in 1978. Another Republican, Sean Parnell, who rose to the job after Palin's 2009 departure, did not technically win reelection during the 2010 cycle that kept him in office.

"Governor Dunleavy has been not only a successful governor, but a pretty strong ally for him. So it's only natural that he'd be hearing that from Alaskans - but also from folks in the broader MAGA movement."

Murkowski also "never faced a challenger like him" who has broad support outside conservative circles, the second source noted.

A top Alaska political analyst and pollster agreed.

"Conservatives would welcome an opportunity to unseat Murkowski," he said in a Thursday interview.

One area that all parties agreed on is the importance of the Native vote in Alaska elections - particularly those featuring Murkowski or Dunleavy. While the Native electorate leans left, they also cross party lines to support both such candidates - setting up what the pollster described as an interesting showdown.

The difference between the two, he reiterated, is that Dunleavy's other base is firmly on the conservative right, while Murkowski's is in the center where she also draws support from moderate Democrats.

Murkowski, daughter of another Alaska Republican governor, Frank Murkowski, notably also mounted a strong enough bid to win a write-in campaign in 2010 after being knocked off the GOP ticket by Tea Party candidate Joe Miller.

All of those who spoke to Fox News Digital agreed the race would be a very close one to watch.

Alaska also uniquely swears-in its governors in December - a month earlier than the presidency, Congress and most other state leaders.

Fox News Digital reached out to a representative for Dunleavy as well as a contact listed for Murkowski's campaign and her Senate office and the White House for comment.