Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has emerged as the latest beneficiary of the midterm elections’ “blue tsunami,” becoming the first Democrat elected governor of Alaska since 1998.
Kreiss-Tomkins, a Yale dropout who later served as a state lawmaker, defeated three Republican candidates, including Bernadette Wilson, who had been endorsed by President Donald Trump. Wilson previously worked as a local television and radio host before entering politics.
His victory gives Democrats control of the governor’s office in 30 states, including Iowa, Georgia, Ohio and Texas, where the party overturned years of Republican leadership.
At 37, Kreiss-Tomkins will become the youngest governor in Alaska’s history.
He will succeed outgoing Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy, who has held the position since 2018.
Alaska’s last Democratic governor was Tony Knowles, who remained in office until 2002.
Kreiss-Tomkins received endorsements from three former governors—a Democrat, a Republican and an independent—as well as Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski.
Alaska’s US Senate race remains uncalled. Former Congresswoman Mary Peltola held 49.8 percent of the vote with 95 percent counted, ahead of incumbent Dan S. Sullivan, who had 46.1 percent.
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (pictured) has become the latest beneficiary of the midterm elections’ “blue tsunami,” winning the Alaska governor’s race as the first Democrat elected to the office since 1998
Kreiss-Tomkins defeated three Republican candidates, including Bernadette Wilson
Kreiss-Tomkins, commonly known as JKT, completed a political comeback three years after leaving the Alaska House.
He traveled across the state to build a broad coalition, making affordability a central issue. He also advocated full funding for public schools and called for all oil and gas producers to pay corporate income tax.
Kreiss-Tomkins additionally proposed a moratorium on new data centers until state lawmakers establish regulations governing their development.
Among the other issues he highlighted was Alaska’s ferry system, which he said had been left in disrepair after routes serving many communities were sharply reduced.
He argued that Alaska had become “broken” during the eight years of Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy’s administration and needed a change in direction.
The ferry network is a crucial transportation link for communities in southeast Alaska that are not connected by roads and, in some cases, have limited air service.
Kreiss-Tomkins, 37, stressed his willingness to work across party lines and said his Cabinet would include Republicans, Democrats and independents.
“If they’re competent, if they’re service-minded, if they’re entrepreneurial, if they’re problem-solvers, you’re on the team. Game on,” he said at a candidate forum last month. “Let’s go, and let’s get Alaska back on track.”
The result comes as Alaska’s closely watched Senate contest remains undecided.
An Alaska judge ruled Wednesday that Mary Peltola’s campaign request for a list of absentee voters whose ballots had been rejected was “not reasonable,” particularly given the tight timetable facing election officials as ballot counting continues.
Votes are still being counted in the ranked-choice election, in which Peltola and two-term Republican Senator Dan Sullivan are the leading contenders. Alaska’s contest was the only US Senate race in the country that remained too close to call.
Ballots are still being counted in the ranked-choice election, with Mary Peltola (left) and two-term Republican Senator Dan Sullivan (right) the leading contenders
Alaska accepts ballots from overseas voters for up to 15 days after the general election, making November 18 the final date for their arrival. That is also the Division of Elections’ target date for completing ranked-choice tabulations if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the first-choice vote.
Attorneys for Peltola’s campaign sued state election officials last Friday, seeking a list of voters whose absentee ballots had been rejected and the reasons for those decisions. They said the goal was to ensure that every qualified voter had the opportunity to have their ballot counted.
State attorneys argued that releasing the requested information would violate voter privacy. They also said compiling the list from the voter database would amount to creating an “electronic service or product,” which under state law could not take precedence over the agency’s primary responsibilities.
Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews wrote that, “in theory,” voter database records could be redacted and prepared for release. However, he ruled that the Division of Elections was not required to provide the documents because they “cannot reasonably be produced at this juncture, nor redacted of confidential information.”