The key facts

  • Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins won the Alaska gubernatorial election, according to NBC News projections
  • He will become the youngest governor in the state's history and the youngest sitting governor in the United States
  • After these elections, Democrats are expected to control 30 of the 50 governorships

A change of power in Alaska

In the Alaska gubernatorial election Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has won — Anadolu reports, citing NBC News projections. The victory marks the end of Republican control of the state's governorship and adds to a series of Democratic successes in this year's elections across the country. With six governorships flipping from Republicans to Democrats, the party is expected to control 30 of the 50 governor's offices next year.

Who the winner is

The 37-year-old former state legislator, known in Alaska as JKT, will become the youngest governor in the state's history and the youngest sitting governor in the United States next year. He defeated three Republicans to succeed outgoing Governor Mike Dunleavy, who was barred from running again due to term limits. The Republicans were Anchorage businesswoman Bernadette Wilson, who received the endorsement of President Donald Trump, former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, and former Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor; Wilson came in second but trailed the winner by a significant margin.

Features of the electoral system

Alaska uses a distinctive system: the four candidates with the most votes in the primary advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation, and ranked-choice voting is then applied. This time it was not needed: Kreiss-Tomkins received more than half the votes already in the first round. Former Democratic state senator Tom Begich, who finished slightly behind him in the August primary, soon withdrew his candidacy to consolidate Democratic support. Notably, a week before Election Day, Kreiss-Tomkins was endorsed by Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who is considered a moderate and often at odds with party leadership; in an interview with Anchorage station KTUU, she called him a pragmatic leader capable of working across political divides.

Key campaign themes

During the campaign, Kreiss-Tomkins emphasized increasing investment in public education, making energy cheaper, expanding access to Medicaid, and strengthening protections for Alaska's fishing industry. He also advocated a temporary ban on new data center projects until legislation is introduced and promised to prevent data centers from receiving direct or indirect government subsidies to cover electricity costs.