Alaska went bigly for Trump in 2016. How does she think her contrariness will help her future in politics?
She’s possibly the only GOP Senator who doesn’t need a majority of GOP voters to stay in office. She demonstrated that when she turned out the Alaska “ government hand-out” community with a write-in campaign to beat Miller.
Every other GOP Senator needs GOP voters to stay in office. With Trump’s GOP support at 95% (unprecedented!) any GOP senator that votes to convict Trump at least 30% (more like 50%) of his GOP voter support. None except possibly Murkowski could survive that! Being Senator is far more lucrative then anything else they could be and they know that.
Alaska is a small state electorally, so she doesn't wield the fundraising numbers or donor influence of a larger state senator. She got elected because of her father's name, and stays elected because she brings home the bacon and greases the correct palms. She was actually primaried successfully and off the republican ticket in a prior election, but came back as a write in candidate in the general and won against a more conservative candidate because of the favors she called in from those greased palms.
If she becomes a reliable conservative vote, she won't be courted by the leadership and offered pork for her constituency.