Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has won the race for governor of Alaska, according to a race call by the Associated Press. At 37 years old, Kreiss-Tomkins will become the youngest governor in state history, ending a period of Republican leadership that began in 2018 with outgoing Gov. Mike Dunleavy. The victory marks the first time a Democrat has held the office since Tony Knowles left in 2002. Kreiss-Tomkins is set to take office at noon on Dec. 7.
The AP called the race after more than a week of vote counting, which included mail-in ballots and votes from remote parts of the state. Alaska uses a ranked-choice voting system, where candidates must secure a majority of votes to win. Kreiss-Tomkins faced three Republican opponents in the general election: business owner Bernadette Wilson, former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, and former Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor. Wilson was backed by President Trump. Voters also rejected a ballot measure to scrap the ranked-choice voting system, keeping the current electoral framework in place.
What the Right Is Saying
The Republican field was divided among three candidates, with Bernadette Wilson receiving the endorsement of President Trump. The split vote in the general election, combined with the mechanics of ranked-choice voting, resulted in a Democratic win despite the state having voted for a Republican governor since 2018. The rejection of the ballot measure to eliminate ranked-choice voting means Republicans will continue to compete under this system in future elections.
Conservative voices in the state have pointed to the challenges facing the incoming administration, including rising costs and infrastructure issues. The transition from Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who served from 2018 until his term limit expired, places the burden of addressing economic grievances on the new Democratic leadership. The outcome highlights the difficulty for Republican candidates in Alaska when the party's vote is fragmented in a ranked-choice environment.
What the Left Is Saying
Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state representative from Sitka, campaigned on a platform he described as "high-energy, bipartisan, problem-solving." He positioned himself as a "man of the middle" during debates, promising to build an administration that includes Democrats, Republicans, and independents. In an interview at a polling station in Anchorage on Election Day, Kreiss-Tomkins stated, "I strongly believe people just want things to work, and want people to work together."
The Democratic victory was bolstered by endorsements from three former governors representing different political affiliations: a Democrat, a Republican, and an independent. Notably, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski also endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins, signaling cross-party appeal. The win contributes to a broader trend in the midterms where Democrats now hold 30 governors' offices nationwide, an increase from 24 previously.
What the Numbers Show
Kreiss-Tomkins, 37, will be the youngest governor in Alaska's history. The state has not had a Democratic governor since Tony Knowles left office in 2002. With this win, Democrats control 30 governorships across the United States, up from 24. The vote count extended over a week due to the inclusion of mail-in and remote ballots. The ballot measure to repeal ranked-choice voting failed, according to AP projections.
The state faces significant economic headwinds that the new administration must address. Data indicates that rising costs and relatively flat state funding have forced schools to close and class sizes to increase. Costs for food, fuel, and housing have risen sharply. Additionally, a looming shortage of easily accessible natural gas near population centers threatens to push energy prices higher. Alaska has also experienced net outmigration for more than a decade.
The Bottom Line
The election results signal a shift in Alaska's executive branch leadership after eight years of Republican governance. Kreiss-Tomkins' victory, achieved through a ranked-choice system that voters chose to retain, places a young, self-described moderate at the helm of a state grappling with high costs of living, energy infrastructure challenges, and population decline. The incoming administration's stated focus on bipartisan cooperation will be tested against these immediate economic pressures. Kreiss-Tomkins will be sworn in on Dec. 7, succeeding term-limited Gov. Mike Dunleavy.