Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has won Alaska’s governor’s race, AP projects, becoming the first Democrat elected there since 1998, beating 3 Republicans, including a candidate backed by Donald Trump.
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Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has been elected governor of Alaska, according to projections by the Associated Press and NBC News. He becomes the state’s first Democratic governor-elect since 1998, in a red-leaning state Trump has carried in recent presidential elections.
Reuters describes the result as the latest Democratic win in a wave of state and congressional victories in the November 3 midterm elections.
The result
The Associated Press has called the race for Kreiss-Tomkins. As of Nov 15, 6:47am PKT, with an estimated 97% of votes counted, AP’s count showed:
- Jona.than Kreiss-Tomkins (D): 50.9%
- Bernadette Wilson (R): 28.0%
- Dave Bronson (R): 13.6%
- Treg Taylor (R): 7.2%
These numbers may have changed since then as counting continues.
Who is Kreiss-Tomkins?
Kreiss-Tomkins, 37, is a former Alaska state lawmaker. He defeated 3 Republican candidates, including one endorsed by President Donald Trump.
What he ran on
His campaign focused on 3 issues:
- Lowering the cost of living for Alaskans
- Full funding for public schools
- Regulating the construction of data centers
A Republican endorsement
Kreiss-Tomkins was endorsed by Republican US Senator Lisa Murkowski. She has been willing to break with Trump on some foreign and domestic issues. Her backing gave the Democrat cross-party credibility in a state where Republicans dominate statewide politics.
Why it matters nationally
According to Reuters, his victory would give Democrats 30 state governorships next year. Governors shape policy on education, energy and elections, and they will be key players heading into the 2028 presidential race.
For Alaska, the result marks a political shift after nearly 3 decades without a Democrat in the governor’s office.
Based on reporting by Reuters, with results from The Associated Press.
