Democrat wins Alaska governor's race in 30th state for party

Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has won the election for Alaska governor, according to a race call by the Associated Press. The 37-year-old Democrat will become the youngest person to hold the office in the state's history. His victory ends a 24-year period of Republican control, with the last Democratic governor, Tony Knowles, leaving office in 2002.

Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state representative from Sitka, defeated three Republican candidates in a race that used a ranked-choice voting system. The challengers included Bernadette Wilson, who had the endorsement of President Donald Trump; Dave Bronson, a former Anchorage mayor; and Treg Taylor, the state's former attorney general. In this voting format, a candidate must secure a majority of votes to win. The Associated Press made the call after counting more than a week of ballots, including mail-in votes and returns from remote areas.

Voters also decided on a proposal to remove the ranked-choice system from the state's election process. That measure failed, meaning Alaska will continue to use the current method for future races. This decision follows a campaign in which Kreiss-Tomkins, often known by his initials JKT, positioned himself as a centrist figure. He described himself as a man of the middle during a debate and promised to build a cabinet that includes Democrats, Republicans, and independents.

Endorsements for Kreiss-Tomkins came from a mix of party lines. He received support from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, as well as three former governors representing the Democratic, Republican, and independent parties. In a short interview at an Anchorage precinct on Election Day, he spoke to the mood among voters who felt tired of partisan conflict.

Alaskans have had enough of zero-sum partisan politics, he said. I strongly believe people just want things to work, and want people to work together, Kreiss-Tomkins said.

The new governor will enter a state facing several economic pressures. Residents have reported rising costs for food, fuel, and housing. A potential shortage of natural gas near population centers threatens to increase prices further. State schools have closed some campuses and increased class sizes due to flat funding. Alaskans have also been moving out of the state for over a decade.

Kreiss-Tomkins is scheduled to take the oath of office at noon on Dec. 7. His win brings the total number of governors controlled by Democrats to 30 across the United States, up from the current 24.