Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins Wins Alaska Governor’s Race, First Since 1998
Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins Wins Alaska Governor’s Race, First Since 1998
Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has won Alaska’s governor race, becoming the first Democrat elected to the state’s highest office since 1998 and the youngest governor in Alaska’s history. The Associated Press called the race at 12:01 a.m. EST on Saturday, November 14, after Kreiss-Tomkins cleared 50 percent of the vote and avoided a ranked-choice runoff.
Kreiss-Tomkins, 37, a former state representative from Sitka, defeated three Republican candidates, including Bernadette Wilson, who had been endorsed by President Donald Trump. His victory gives Democrats control of the governor’s office in 30 states and caps a midterm cycle in which the party flipped several governorships after years of Republican control.
A Majority Win in a Three-Way Republican Split
Kreiss-Tomkins won 50.2 percent of the vote, passing the threshold needed to avoid a ranked-choice runoff under Alaska’s voting system, with about 88 percent of votes counted as of early Friday morning. Wilson, a former Republican talk show host who owns a garbage-collection company, finished second. The other two Republican candidates, former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and former Attorney General Treg Taylor, trailed behind.
The three-way split on the Republican side helped Kreiss-Tomkins, whose vote share held above 50 percent as counting continued. He had finished first in August’s open primary with 22.5 percent of the vote, ahead of fellow Democrat Tom Begich at 20.8 percent. Begich later withdrew from the race.
In his victory declaration, Kreiss-Tomkins said Alaskans had “voted for change,” according to The New York Times. His campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment after the AP called the race.
A Pragmatic Campaign in a State Where Democrats Are 11 Percent of Voters
Kreiss-Tomkins ran as a pragmatic coalition-builder, and his win is striking given Alaska’s political makeup. Democrats make up just 11 percent of the state’s electorate, according to the Times, and his campaign was built to appeal to moderates and to Republicans frustrated by legislative gridlock in the capital, Juneau.
He drew endorsements from three former governors — a Democrat, a Republican and an independent — as well as Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, a signal of the cross-party coalition behind his candidacy. He emphasized a willingness to work across party lines throughout the campaign.
Kreiss-Tomkins is a former ultramarathoner and mountaineer from Sitka who dropped out of Yale to win his first legislative seat at age 23. He served in the Alaska House of Representatives from 2013 to 2023. He will be the first governor born in Alaska after statehood, and he will be sworn in on December 7, 2026, alongside Lieutenant Governor Zac Johnson, an independent.
Succeeding a Term-Limited Republican
Kreiss-Tomkins will succeed Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy, who has held the office since 2018 and was barred by term limits from seeking a third consecutive term. Dunleavy’s departure set off an unusual contest in which Republicans battled among themselves over who should succeed him, while Kreiss-Tomkins consolidated support as the Democratic contender.
The race unfolded under Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. Because Kreiss-Tomkins won more than half of first-choice votes, no ranked-choice tabulation was needed.
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Why This Matters
The Alaska result extends a strong midterm cycle for Democrats, who also flipped governor’s offices in states including Iowa, Georgia, Ohio and Texas, according to the AP. With Alaska, Democrats now hold the governor’s office in 30 states.
The win also reshapes Alaska politics. The state’s most recent Democratic governor was Tony Knowles, who left office in 2002 after being elected in 1998. No Democrat has won the office since. Kreiss-Tomkins will take office with a short-term budget surplus, helped by oil prices that rose during the war in Iran, the Times reported, giving him fiscal room as he begins his term.
The result is part of a broader midterm wave that has already reshaped Congress. Democrats won control of both chambers in the November 3 elections, and in Colorado, Lauren Boebert lost her Colorado House seat to Democrat Eileen Laubacher in one of the cycle’s biggest upsets.
Latest Developments
The AP called the race early Saturday, and the remaining steps are largely procedural. Counties will finish tabulating and certifying ballots in the coming days. Alaska’s Senate race remains uncalled, with former Representative Mary Peltola leading incumbent Republican Dan Sullivan, 49.8 percent to 46.1 percent, with about 95 percent of votes counted. Ranked-choice tabulation in that race is scheduled for November 18.
Kreiss-Tomkins has not yet announced the shape of his transition team or his first legislative priorities, and his campaign has not said when he will hold his first news conference as governor-elect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Alaska governor’s race?
Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a 37-year-old former state representative from Sitka. The Associated Press called the race at 12:01 a.m. EST on Saturday, November 14, 2026.
When was the last time a Democrat won the Alaska governor’s race?
1998, when Tony Knowles was elected. Knowles left office in 2002, and no Democrat had won the office since.
Who did Kreiss-Tomkins defeat?
Three Republicans: Bernadette Wilson, who had been endorsed by President Donald Trump; former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson; and former Attorney General Treg Taylor.
When does Kreiss-Tomkins take office?
He will be sworn in as governor on December 7, 2026, succeeding term-limited Republican Mike Dunleavy. His lieutenant governor will be Zac Johnson, an independent.
What Comes Next
Kreiss-Tomkins takes office on December 7 with a budget surplus and a legislature that will test his promise to work across party lines. The still-uncalled Senate race, where Mary Peltola leads Dan Sullivan, will determine whether Alaska sends a Democrat to Washington alongside its new Democratic governor. For now, the governor’s race is decided: after 28 years, a Democrat will lead Alaska again.
Sources: Associated Press | The New York Times | NBC News | Times Now World | Internewscast
