Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins Wins Alaska Governorship, Ending GOP's 28-Year Hold
Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has been elected governor of Alaska, ousting Republican control of the office and ending a 28-year stretch without a Democrat winning the state's top job.[1]
His victory makes him the first Democrat elected governor in Alaska since Tony Knowles in 1998 and lifts Democrats to control of 30 governorships nationwide, a milestone national outlets are casting as part of a broader 2026 blue wave in statehouses.[1] Kreiss-Tomkins defeated three Republican candidates, including Bernadette Wilson, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, turning the race into a test of GOP strength in a historically conservative-leaning state.[2]
Throughout the campaign, the former legislator told voters that Alaska was "broken" after eight years under outgoing Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, citing deep cuts and route reductions in the state's ferry system as a symbol of wider governmental neglect.[1] He ran on fully funding public schools, requiring all oil and gas producers to pay corporate income tax, and imposing a temporary halt on new data centers until the state puts regulations in place, positioning himself as a reformer on both public services and resource policy.[2] His campaign leaned on an intensive travel schedule across Alaska's far-flung communities and said it drew contributions from more than 10,000 donors, which he has pointed to as evidence of a broad grassroots mandate.[1]
Tony Knowles, the last Democrat to hold the governorship, served from 1994 to 2002, after winning reelection in 1998, and no Democrat had captured the office since then even as independent Bill Walker interrupted Republican control from 2014 to 2018.[3] Kreiss-Tomkins' win was underpinned by unusually broad establishment support: three former governors backed him, including Knowles, former independent Gov. Walker, and former Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski, an alliance that cut across party lines in a state long dominated by the GOP.[2] Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski also endorsed him before Election Day, saying he "understands that governing requires listening to people with different perspectives and finding common ground," a signal that some moderate Republicans were willing to break with their party in the governor's race.[2]
Alaska's political and policy backdrop gave those cross-party endorsements added weight. The state has struggled with population stagnation and demographic shifts, losing more residents to out-migration than it has gained for 13 straight years; from July 2024 to July 2025, 1,740 more people left than moved in, and only natural population increase kept overall numbers inching up 0.2 percent to about 738,700 residents.[4] The working-age population slipped even as the share of older Alaskans grew, intensifying debates over how to fund services like ferries and schools and how aggressively to tax or regulate oil, gas, and emerging industries such as data centers, issues that were central to Kreiss-Tomkins' platform.[4]
Show source details & analysis (4 sources)
📊 Relevant Data
The National Governors Association lists Bill Walker, an Independent, as Alaska's governor from December 1, 2014 to December 3, 2018.
Bill Walker — National Governors Association
The National Governors Association lists Democrat Tony Knowles as Alaska's governor from December 5, 1994 to December 2, 2002. He was the last Democrat elected, in 1998, and the last to hold the office.
Tony Knowles — National Governors Association
Alaska has lost residents to net migration for 13 straight years. In the year to July 1, 2025, 1,740 more people left than moved in, and natural increase of 3,389 kept the population growing 0.2% to 738,737. The working-age population (18-64) fell 0.1%, while residents 65 and older rose 3.2%.
Alaska's population grew 0.2 percent from 2024 to 2025 — Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development
📌 Key Facts
- Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has been elected Alaska governor, becoming the first Democrat to win the office since 1998 and ending a 28-year stretch without a Democratic governor, according to CBS News.
- His victory in Alaska lifts Democrats to control of 30 governorships nationwide, a milestone emphasized by both CBS News and the PBS News/Associated Press report.
- Kreiss-Tomkins defeated three Republican candidates, including Bernadette Wilson, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, highlighting the national political stakes of the race as described by PBS News.
- Throughout the campaign, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins framed Alaska as "broken" after eight years under outgoing Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, frequently pointing to drastic route cuts in the state ferry system as a prime example.
- Kreiss-Tomkins campaigned on fully funding public schools, requiring all oil and gas producers to pay corporate income tax, and imposing a moratorium on new data centers until state regulations are in place.
- The campaign of Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins relied on an intensive statewide travel strategy and drew support from more than 10,000 donors, which he cited as evidence of a broad grassroots mandate.
- Three former governors—Tony Knowles, Bill Walker, and former Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski—publicly backed Kreiss-Tomkins, giving his bid unusually strong multi-partisan support.
- Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins before the election, saying he "understands that governing requires listening to people with different perspectives and finding common ground."
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- The PBS/Associated Press piece confirms that Kreiss-Tomkins' win gives Democrats control of 30 governorships nationwide, explicitly tying Alaska's result to a broader 2026 Democratic wave in state governments.
- The article reiterates that at least one of Kreiss-Tomkins' Republican opponents, Bernadette Wilson, was endorsed by President Donald Trump, underscoring the national political stake in the race.
- PBS notes that former Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski was among three former governors (Knowles, Walker, Murkowski) who endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins, reinforcing prior multi-partisan backing already referenced but now sourced directly to AP/PBS.
- The story provides a quote from Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s pre-election endorsement, saying Kreiss-Tomkins "understands that governing requires listening to people with different perspectives and finding common ground."
- The article specifies that Kreiss-Tomkins said his campaign had support from more than 10,000 donors and that he framed Alaska as "broken" under eight years of Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, highlighting his mandate and message.
- CBS reports that Kreiss-Tomkins is the first Democrat elected Alaska governor since 1998, breaking a 28-year stretch without a Democrat winning the office.
- The article states explicitly that his victory lifts Democrats to control of 30 governorships nationwide.
- New issue details: Kreiss-Tomkins campaigned on full funding of public schools, requiring all oil and gas producers to pay corporate income tax, and imposing a moratorium on new data centers until state regulations are enacted.
- The piece emphasizes that he framed Alaska as 'broken' after eight years under outgoing Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, citing the state ferry system’s drastic route cuts as a central example.
- CBS reiterates that Kreiss-Tomkins defeated three Republicans, including one endorsed by President Trump, and notes his statewide travel-focused strategy and more than 10,000 campaign donors.