Kreiss-Tomkins wins Alaska governorship as Democrats expand state control

Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has won Alaska’s governorship, becoming the first Democrat elected to the office since 1998 and adding to a series of Democratic victories in state races across the country.

The 37-year-old former state lawmaker defeated three Republican opponents, including one endorsed by President Donald Trump. The Associated Press called the race Friday, 10 days after polls closed, The Guardian reported. Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, but Kreiss-Tomkins won more than 50% of first-choice votes and did not need additional rounds of counting, according to The Guardian.

The result brings Democrats to 30 governorships. The party also won governor’s races in longtime Republican strongholds including Iowa, Georgia, Ohio and Texas. The Guardian reported Democratic victories in Kansas and Nevada as well. In Kansas, Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher narrowly defeated Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson, another Trump-endorsed candidate.

Kreiss-Tomkins, widely known as JKT, returned to electoral politics three years after leaving the Alaska House of Representatives. He traveled across the state campaigning on affordability, full funding for public schools and a requirement that all oil and gas producers pay corporate income tax. He also called for a moratorium on new data centers until state lawmakers establish rules for their development.

He argued that Alaska had become “broken” during the eight years of outgoing Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s administration. Among his concerns was the state ferry system, which he said had been left in shambles as service to many communities was sharply reduced. Ferries are an important link for southeast Alaska communities without road connections, some of which also have limited air service.

Despite his criticism of Dunleavy, Kreiss-Tomkins promised to work across party lines and said he wanted Republicans, Democrats and independents in his Cabinet. At a candidate forum last month, he described the qualities he would seek: “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.”

Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed him a week before the election. She said he “understands that governing requires listening to people with different perspectives and finding common ground to solve the problems all of us face.” Former governors Tony Knowles, a Democrat; Bill Walker, an independent; and Frank Murkowski, a Republican and the senator’s father, also endorsed him, CBS News reported.

In a statement declaring victory Friday, Kreiss-Tomkins said voters wanted “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.” He said his campaign had more than 10,000 donors, according to CBS News.

The Guardian reported that Democrats flipped eight U.S. Senate seats and gained more than two dozen House seats in the Nov. 3 midterms. Alaska’s U.S. Senate race remained unresolved as of Saturday, when Democrat Mary Peltola led Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan with few ballots left to count, according to Alaska Public Media as cited by The Guardian.