Alaska just added another twist to a wild midterm. Former state Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins will win the governor’s race, CNN projected late Thursday night, Nov. 12, making him the first Democrat elected to lead the state in two decades.
The featured image shows Kreiss-Tomkins in Sitka, Alaska, in February 2026.
The Lowdown
Alaska last elected a Democratic governor in 1998, when Tony Knowles won a second term. Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state House member from Sitka, beat three Republicans in a ranked-choice race and is leading outright on first-choice votes. It is one more red-state upset in a cycle full of them, and he is promising a bipartisan cabinet.
Key Takeaways
- CNN projected Thursday night that Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins will win Alaska’s governor race.
- He had just over 50% of first-choice votes after Thursday’s count, ahead of Republicans Bernadette Wilson, Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
- Final ballot counting is scheduled for Nov. 18, certification by Nov. 25, and the new governor is sworn in Dec. 7.
- Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy was term-limited.
Former state Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins will win Alaska's governor race, CNN projects, becoming the first Democrat elected to lead the state in two decades.
— CNN (@CNN) November 12, 2026
The Full Story
The Count
After the state tallied about 5,000 more ballots on Thursday, Kreiss-Tomkins had over 50% of first-choice votes, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Wilson had 28.7%, Bronson 13.7% and Taylor 7.3%. Thousands of absentee ballots are still out, with final counting set for Nov. 18.
Because he is over 50% on first choices, ranked-choice tabulation would not change the outcome if that holds. As of the Daily News’ Thursday report, Wilson had not conceded.
What He Says Comes Next
“We want to be an administration for all Alaskans,” Kreiss-Tomkins said at the Resource Development Council conference in Anchorage on Wednesday, according to the Daily News. “I think the country needs that. I think Alaska needs that.”
He said his transition will be run by three co-chairs, a Republican, a Democrat and an independent, and that he may keep some of Dunleavy’s commissioners. His campaign focused on affordability, health care access and fisheries.
Alaska’s Senate race between Democrat Mary Peltola and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan is still being counted, with Peltola’s lead growing Thursday. Follow the rest of the night on our midterm live updates and the Zeitgeist page.
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More Context
- CNN on X — CNN projects Kreiss-Tomkins will win Alaska’s governor race, Nov. 12, 2026 ↗
- Anchorage Daily News — Peltola, Kreiss-Tomkins grow leads after latest ballot counts in Alaska ↗
- Anchorage Daily News — Kreiss-Tomkins previews policy priorities as he awaits final election results ↗
Photo credits
1. Featured image: Photo by Jack Poulson, cropped (CC BY-SA)
