Alaska Elects First Democrat Governor Since 1998
More than ten days after the midterm elections, the last governor's race of 2026 finally has a winner — and it is a historic one. Alaska voters have elected a Democrat for governor for the first time since 1998. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a 37-year-old former state representative from the small island community of Sitka, defeated three Republicans, including one endorsed by President Donald Trump, and will become the youngest governor in Alaska's history when he is sworn in on 7 December.
The Associated Press called the race on Friday 13 November, after more than a week of counting ballots arriving by mail and from remote communities across the vast state. The result completes a sweeping Democratic midterm in state governments — and it leaves just one race from the 2026 elections still uncalled: Alaska's own Senate contest.
The Result
Kreiss-Tomkins won 50.8 percent of first-choice votes — 139,293 ballots, according to unofficial results from the Alaska Division of Elections — defeating his nearest rival, Republican Bernadette Wilson, who took 28.1 percent. He also beat Republicans Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor in the four-way general election. The margin over Wilson was 22.7 points.
The Associated Press called the contest at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday 14 November, more than ten days after the 3 November midterms. The call came after days of vote counting, with Kreiss-Tomkins holding a majority of first-choice votes — the threshold that matters most under Alaska's ranked-choice system.
The result remains unofficial until the state certifies it, which the Division of Elections has scheduled for 25 November. But the AP race call is a strong journalistic confirmation of the winner, and the campaign of the defeated candidates has not disputed the outcome. Kreiss-Tomkins' campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment after the AP called the race.
Alaska last elected a Democratic governor in 1998, when Tony Knowles won his second term. In the 28 years since, the governor's office has been held by Republicans and, for one term, by an independent. The win ends the longest Democratic drought in any state's governorship.
Who Is Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins?
Kreiss-Tomkins, 37, is a former state lawmaker from Sitka, a small island community in south-east Alaska. He served in the Alaska House of Representatives, where he built a reputation as a bipartisan-minded legislator — a profile his campaign leaned on heavily. The Associated Press noted that he "emphasized a willingness to work across party lines" during the campaign, a message aimed squarely at Alaska's large bloc of independent voters.
He is a Yale graduate — a detail that drew attention in profiles after the win — but his political base is firmly Alaskan: a former representative from a fishing town, running on practical governing rather than national party talking points.
At 37, he will be the youngest governor in Alaska's history, and, according to NBC News, the youngest sitting governor in the country when he takes office next month. His lieutenant governor is Zac Johnson, an independent — a cross-party ticket that fits the campaign's bipartisan pitch.
He will succeed outgoing Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy, who has governed since 2018 and was prevented by term limits from seeking another term.
How He Won
Three things decided the race: the primary, the divided opposition, and Alaska's voting system.
First, the primary. Alaska uses an open primary in which all candidates run together regardless of party. Kreiss-Tomkins finished first in August's open primary, followed by a second Democrat, Tom Begich. Begich then withdrew from the race, so the party could unite behind one candidate rather than split its vote against the Republicans. That early consolidation mattered: in a state where Democrats are outnumbered, a split Democratic vote would have handed the race to the Republican field.
Second, the Republican field was divided three ways. Wilson, who had President Trump's endorsement, led the Republican vote but took only 28.1 percent. Bronson and Taylor split the rest of the Republican vote between them. Against a single united Democrat, three Republicans competing for the same voters could not add up to a majority.
Third, the voting system. Alaska uses ranked-choice voting in its general elections, under which voters rank candidates in order of preference. A candidate who receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes wins outright, without later rounds of redistribution. Kreiss-Tomkins crossed that threshold as additional ballots were counted — 50.8 percent — so no redistribution was needed. The Washington Post reported that he crossed the majority line as the count went on, and the AP subsequently called the race.
Voters also decided the fate of the system itself on the same ballot: they rejected a ballot measure that would have scrapped ranked-choice voting, keeping Alaska's experiment in place. That vote, called separately by the AP, means the system that delivered this result will still be there for the next election.
What the Win Means
Nationally, the Alaska result completes the picture of a sweeping Democratic midterm in state governments. With Alaska, Democrats will control the governor's office in 30 states — the most since 2010 — up from 24 before the midterms. The party flipped governorships after years of Republican control in places such as Iowa, Georgia, Ohio and Texas, as well as Alaska.
That is a striking reversal of fortune for a party that, not long ago, held barely half as many governorships. Thirty governor's mansions gives Democrats a much larger bench of state-level power: control over state budgets, veto power over state legislation, and a platform for future national candidates. It also means the party now governs states across the political map, from deep-blue strongholds to states that voted Republican for president.
For Alaska itself, the change is practical as well as symbolic. The state faces the same questions every governor faces — the budget, the oil-dependent economy, the cost of living in remote communities — but it will now answer them under a governor whose party has not held the office in a generation. How much changes in practice will depend on the state legislature, where the balance of power is its own story.
The win also underlines a pattern of the 2026 midterms: candidates who ran on local issues and bipartisan governing, rather than national party labels, did well. Kreiss-Tomkins' campaign was built for Alaska's independent-minded electorate, and it worked in a state that is, by registration and temperament, one of the least partisan in the country.
What Happens Next
Kreiss-Tomkins will be sworn in at noon on 7 December 2026, with independent Zac Johnson as lieutenant governor. Before that, the Alaska Division of Elections will certify the results on 25 November, turning the unofficial count into the official record.
One piece of Alaska's 2026 election remains unfinished. The state's US Senate race is still uncalled: Democratic challenger Mary Peltola was leading incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan by about 5,800 votes as of Friday afternoon, with ballots still being tallied. It is the last uncalled Senate race of the midterms, and it will decide whether the Democrats' new Senate majority — currently 55 seats including independents who caucus with them — grows to 56.
For now, though, Alaska has a new governor-elect — the first Democrat in 28 years, the youngest in the state's history, and the final governor's race of 2026 to be called.
Timeline
- August 2026: Kreiss-Tomkins finishes first in Alaska's open primary; second-place Democrat Tom Begich withdraws so the party can unite behind one candidate.
- 3 November 2026: midterm Election Day. The Alaska governor's race is too close to call as ballots from mail and remote communities are counted.
- 13 November 2026: the Associated Press calls the race for Kreiss-Tomkins after he crosses 50 percent of first-choice votes; the call comes at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on Saturday 14 November.
- 14 November 2026: Kreiss-Tomkins is confirmed as the first Democrat elected governor of Alaska since 1998; Democrats will hold 30 governorships, the most since 2010.
- 25 November 2026: the Alaska Division of Elections is scheduled to certify the results.
- 7 December 2026: Kreiss-Tomkins is to be sworn in at noon, with independent Zac Johnson as lieutenant governor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Alaska governor race in 2026?
Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, 37, a former state representative from Sitka. The Associated Press called the race for him on Friday, 13 November 2026, after more than a week of counting ballots.
How many votes did Kreiss-Tomkins win by?
He won 50.8% of first-choice votes — 139,293 ballots — against 28.1% for his nearest rival, Republican Bernadette Wilson. He defeated three Republicans in total: Wilson, Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor.
Why is this win historic for Alaska?
Alaska voters last elected a Democrat for governor in 1998, when Tony Knowles won his second term. Kreiss-Tomkins is also, at 37, the youngest governor in Alaska's history, and will be the youngest sitting governor in the country when he takes office.
How did Alaska's ranked-choice voting affect the result?
Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, under which voters rank candidates in order of preference. Because Kreiss-Tomkins won more than 50% of first-choice votes, no redistribution rounds were needed. Voters also rejected a ballot measure that would have scrapped the ranked-choice system.
When will Kreiss-Tomkins take office?
He will be sworn in on 7 December 2026, succeeding term-limited Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy, who has governed since 2018. His lieutenant governor is Zac Johnson, an independent. The state Division of Elections is scheduled to certify the results on 25 November.
How many governors do the Democrats hold now?
With Alaska, Democrats will control the governor's office in 30 states, up from 24 before the 2026 midterms — the most since 2010. The party also flipped governorships in states including Iowa, Georgia, Ohio and Texas.
Who did Kreiss-Tomkins beat?
Three Republicans: Bernadette Wilson, who had President Donald Trump's endorsement; Dave Bronson; and Treg Taylor. He had finished first in August's open primary, after which the second-place Democrat, Tom Begich, withdrew so the party could unite behind one candidate.
Is the Alaska Senate race decided yet?
No. As of Friday afternoon, 13 November, Democratic challenger Mary Peltola was leading incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan by about 5,800 votes, with ballots still being counted. It is the last uncalled Senate race of the 2026 midterms.
Related Reading
- Democrats' 2026 Midterm Win: Mamdani's Story — the full story of the Democrats' 2026 sweep.
- Lauren Boebert Loses Colorado House Seat to Laubacher — another result from the 2026 midterms.
- Scott Colom: Mississippi's First Black Senator Since 1881 — another result from the 2026 midterms.
Sources
- Associated Press (via TMJ4) — Democratic gains expand as Alaska elects first Democratic governor in decades — AP report of 14 November 2026: the first Democrat since 1998, the 30 governorships, the 7 December swearing-in.
- Associated Press (via Acadiana News First) — Kreiss-Tomkins becomes first Democrat since 1998 elected governor in Alaska — the AP's full Juneau report: the three Republicans defeated, the August primary, Begich's withdrawal.
- International Business Times — Who Is Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins? — the 37-year-old's background, the 50% first-choice threshold, the 25 November certification date.
- NewsCord — Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins Wins Alaska Governor Race, Ending Republican Control — the 50.8% / 139,293-vote figures, the 28.1% for Wilson, and the still-uncalled Peltola–Sullivan Senate race.
The results cited here are unofficial until the Alaska Division of Elections certifies them on 25 November 2026. Vote totals are from the Division's unofficial results as reported on 14 November 2026.