Alaska’s Youngest Governor: Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins Wins Race, First Democrat in Power for First Time Since 1998

A historic victory

At 37, Kreiss-Tomkins will be the youngest governor in state history. His win also marks the first time a Democrat has been elected to the office since 1998. In declaring victory, Kreiss-Tomkins said Alaskans had “voted for change.” He added that his administration would begin work promptly on the state’s problems.

A campaign across Alaska

Kreiss-Tomkins, a former lawmaker from Sitka, entered politics after leaving Yale and winning his first legislative seat at age 23. Over the next decade, he built bipartisan alliances and warned about Alaska’s fragile finances.

During the campaign, he traveled to all 19 boroughs. He pledged to strengthen public education and the ferry system, reduce housing and energy costs, and protect fisheries. He also promised to make state finances more sustainable. At one debate, he described himself as “the pro-math candidate.”

Coalitions and state finances

Democrats account for 11 percent of Alaska’s electorate, and Kreiss-Tomkins sought votes from moderates and Republicans frustrated by gridlock in Juneau. In the campaign’s final stretch, he promoted endorsements from several Republicans.

He also pledged a politically balanced transition team and cabinet, and said he would live in Juneau. Some Alaskans have objected to governors who commute to the capital from Anchorage.