Democrat Kreiss-Tomkins wins Alaska governor's race, first since 1998

Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins won the Alaska governor's race, becoming the first Democrat elected to the office since Tony Knowles in 1998 — ending a long stretch of Republican control by a 37-year-old former state lawmaker who campaigned as aggressively on working with Republicans as on any policy platform.

Kreiss-Tomkins, widely known in Alaska as JKT, defeated three Republicans on the ballot: Anchorage businesswoman Bernadette Wilson, who was backed by President Donald Trump; former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson; and former state Attorney General Treg Taylor. He secured a majority of first-choice votes outright, meaning the ranked-choice runoff mechanism Alaska uses never came into play, according to NBC News. Republican opponents have since conceded.

At 37, Kreiss-Tomkins will be the youngest governor in Alaska's history and, next year, the youngest sitting governor in the country, according to NBC News. He succeeds term-limited Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

The victory is part of a broader Democratic wave at the state level. The party will hold 30 governorships next year after flipping control in six states, including Iowa, Georgia, Ohio and Texas, according to CBS News.

The clearest sign of how Kreiss-Tomkins won came one week before Election Day, when Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed him — a notable break from her party in a race where Trump had backed Wilson.

JKT is a young Alaskan with a view and a perspective that I think Alaska needs right now — a freshness of energy, a common-sense guy who has a known ability to be working together.— Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senator (R-Alaska)

Murkowski was not alone among cross-party endorsers. Three former governors — Democrat Tony Knowles, independent Bill Walker, and Republican Frank Murkowski, the senator's father — also backed Kreiss-Tomkins, according to CBS News.

That coalition reflected a deliberate campaign strategy. Kreiss-Tomkins said he wanted a Cabinet that included Republicans, Democrats and independents, and pledged not to govern along party lines.

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. Let's go, and let's get Alaska back on track.— Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, Governor-elect of Alaska

The path to the general election was shaped early by Democratic consolidation. Former state Sen. Tom Begich, who finished second in the August primary just behind Kreiss-Tomkins, dropped out shortly after to unify Democratic support behind JKT, according to NBC News. Alaska's system advances the top four primary finishers regardless of party into a ranked-choice general election.

On policy, Kreiss-Tomkins campaigned on boosting public school funding, lowering energy costs, expanding Medicaid, protecting Alaska's fisheries, and requiring all oil and gas producers to pay corporate income tax, according to NBC News and CBS News. He also called for a moratorium on all new data centers until the state Legislature passes regulations, and said he would block direct or indirect subsidies to data centers for electricity costs.

He framed the race in part as a verdict on Dunleavy's tenure, saying Alaska had become 'broken' under eight years of Republican governance. He specifically cited the state ferry system — a critical link for southeast Alaska communities not connected by roads — as having been left in disrepair, with routes to many communities cut drastically, according to CBS News.

Voters wanted change and a government that works across party lines to move Alaska forward. Our administration will not waste a single day getting to work to solve problems for Alaska.— Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, Governor-elect of Alaska

Kreiss-Tomkins reported more than 10,000 campaign donors, according to CBS News.

Why it matters — Alaska electing its first Democratic governor in nearly three decades — with a Republican senator's blessing and a cross-party Cabinet pledge — signals that bipartisan coalition-building, not just party mobilization, can flip even reliably red states.

Reported by thehill.com, nbcnews.com, cbsnews.com, alaskabeacon.com, politico.com