ANCHORAGE -- Ending years of speculation, U.S. Sen. Frank Murkowski announced Monday that he will run for governor of Alaska next year.

"I make this decision out of my commitment to public service and recognition of the critical needs of our state at this time," the Republican said in a written statement issued Monday morning.

Murkowski spent the weekend in Alaska but did not make his announcement in person. Once the statement was released, he couldn't be reached for the rest of the day because he was traveling to Washington, his spokesman said.

Murkowski's decision gives shape to Alaska's 2002 election season. A number of Republicans have said they were interested in running for governor but were waiting to hear Murkowski's plans.

"I think there will be a large number of people running for lieutenant governor now," said Republican political consultant Chuck Achberger.

Lt. Gov. Fran Ulmer, a Democrat, announced Saturday that she hopes to succeed Gov. Tony Knowles, whose second term expires next year. Term limits prevent him from running again.

A former banker who has been a U.S. senator for 21 years, Murkowski can amass an enormous campaign war chest and is considered tough, some venture impossible, to beat.

Two other Republicans had already announced their candidacy: former House Speaker Gail Phillips of Homer and Anchorage attorney Wayne Ross.

Phillips had said she would step aside for Murkowski and vie instead to be Murkowski's running mate.

Ross said his plans haven't changed.

"I'm running for governor," Ross said Monday. "I thought we had elected Frank as senator. Is he done with all the work he's supposed to do over there?"

Just Friday, Murkowski told reporters in Anchorage that he hadn't decided whether he was running for governor, citing his unfinished mission to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling and issues resulting from the September terrorist attacks.

State Sen. Robin Taylor, another possible candidate for governor, said he might make an announcement of his own next week.

"We may very well be looking at filing for lieutenant governor," Taylor said. "I think a Murkowski-Taylor ticket would be hard to beat."

Both Taylor and Ross ran for governor in 1998 but lost the Republican primary to John Lindauer. Lindauer was soon disgraced as it became clear he was lying about the source of his campaign funds, handing an easy victory to Democrat Knowles.

Ulmer said she was surprised by Murkowski's decision.

"I am surprised he is leaving Washington, D.C., at a time of national emergency and at a time when he had not finished the work he said he wanted to do on ANWR and the (natural gas pipeline)," Ulmer told The Associated Press.

"I think we need him more in D.C. than we need him here," she said.

A Murkowski spokesman, Chuck Kleeschulte, railed at the suggestion, adding the election is more than a year away.

"Obviously Senator Murkowski is not leaving Washington anytime soon," Kleeschulte said.

Murkowski, 68, grew up in Ketchikan and has a home in Fairbanks. He and his wife, Nancy Gore Murkowski, have six adult children.

He is the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, where he has championed drilling in the Arctic refuge and worked to preserve the logging industry in Southeast Alaska.

If he wins the election, he may get to pick the person who would serve the remaining two years of his Senate term.

The Alaska Legislature passed a bill this year that would allow Murkowski, if he is successful, to take office in time to make the selection. Knowles vetoed the bill, but the Legislature may override the veto when it convenes in January. If the veto stands, Knowles would pick a successor, but under Alaska law he would have to select someone in the same party as the vacating senator.

The next election for Murkowski's seat is in 2004. In political circles, many have speculated that Knowles wants the job. Knowles, though, hasn't told anyone what his political plans are or even if he has any, said his spokesman, Bob King.

Reporter Liz Ruskin can be reached at lruskin@adn.com or at 1-202-383-0007.