Alaska elects first Democrat governor since 1998, in another blue wave win

Alaska voters elected Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins as governor for the first time since 1998, part of a Democratic wave in the 2026 midterms. He defeated three Republicans, including Trump-endorsed Bernadette Wilson. Kreiss-Tomkins focused on affordability, school funding, and oil taxes, and emphasized bipartisanship.

Alaska voters have elected Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins as governor, the first Democrat to win the office since 1998. The victory is part of a national midterm wave that gave Democrats control of the governor's office in 30 states, including flips in Iowa, Georgia, Ohio, and Texas. Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state lawmaker known as JKT, defeated three Republicans: Bernadette Wilson (endorsed by President Donald Trump), former Anchorage mayor Dave Bronson, and former attorney general Treg Taylor. He campaigned on affordability, full funding for public schools, requiring all oil and gas producers to pay corporate income tax, and a moratorium on new data centers until regulations are passed. He criticized outgoing Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy, saying Alaska had become "broken." Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski endorsed him a week before the election, praising his willingness to find common ground. Three former governors—Democrat Tony Knowles, independent Bill Walker, and Republican Frank Murkowski—also endorsed him. Kreiss-Tomkins emphasized working across party lines and said he wants a Cabinet with Republicans, Democrats, and independents. He will be sworn in on December 7, with independent Zac Johnson as lieutenant governor. The article notes that Israel and the war in Iran were largely absent from the Alaska campaign, unlike other US races.