Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins Wins Alaska Governor's Race as Democrat

NBC News projects that Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has won Alaska's governor's race, flipping control of the office from Republicans, according to the outlet's November 14 report. The former state lawmaker secured a majority of the vote on a four-candidate November ballot to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, NBC News reported.

What did NBC News project in Alaska's governor's race?

NBC News called the race for Kreiss-Tomkins at 12:05 a.m. ET on November 14, 2026, based on his majority share of first-place votes across the four-candidate field, the outlet reported. At 37, Kreiss-Tomkins will become the youngest governor in Alaska history, according to NBC News, and the youngest sitting governor in the country once he takes office next year.

How does Alaska's ranked choice voting system work in this race?

Alaska advances the top four vote-getters from its primary to the general election regardless of party, then applies ranked choice voting if no candidate clears 50% on the first count, NBC News reported. Because Kreiss-Tomkins won a majority of first-choice votes outright, the ranked choice tabulation rounds did not come into play, according to the outlet.

Who were Kreiss-Tomkins' opponents on the November ballot?

Three Republicans ran against Kreiss-Tomkins in November: Anchorage businesswoman Bernadette Wilson, former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and former state Attorney General Treg Taylor, NBC News reported. Wilson, who had President Donald Trump's backing, finished a distant second, according to the outlet. On the Democratic side, former state Sen. Tom Begich finished second to Kreiss-Tomkins in the August primary before dropping out of the general-election race to consolidate Democratic support behind him, NBC News reported.

What role did Lisa Murkowski's endorsement play?

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins one week before Election Day, according to NBC News. "JKT is a young Alaskan with a view and a perspective that I think Alaska needs right now," Murkowski said, as quoted by the outlet. NBC News reported that Kreiss-Tomkins, who often goes by the initials JKT in the state, drew bipartisan support during the campaign, with Murkowski's late endorsement among the most notable instances.

How does Alaska's result fit into this year's nationwide governor races?

Kreiss-Tomkins' win marks the latest state-level gain for Democrats in this year's elections, according to NBC News. The party will hold 30 governorships nationally next year after flipping control in six states in the 2026 cycle, the outlet reported. Alaska's governor's race is one data point in that broader shift, alongside the five other states where party control changed hands, according to NBC News's tally.

What is the timeline of the Alaska governor's race?

The sequence of events that led to Tuesday's call, according to NBC News's reporting:

• August primary: Alaska's open primary advances the top four finishers to the general election regardless of party. Kreiss-Tomkins finished first; Begich, a fellow Democrat, finished second.
• Shortly after the primary: Begich withdrew from the general-election race to consolidate Democratic support behind Kreiss-Tomkins, leaving a four-candidate field of Kreiss-Tomkins and three Republicans — Wilson, Bronson and Taylor.
• One week before Election Day: Murkowski endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins, a cross-party move NBC News described as notable in a race that otherwise featured three Republican candidates.
• November 14, 2026, 12:05 a.m. ET: NBC News projected Kreiss-Tomkins the winner after he secured a majority of first-choice votes, obviating the need for ranked choice tabulation rounds.

The numbers behind the race, as reported by NBC News: Kreiss-Tomkins is 37 years old and will be the youngest governor in Alaska's history; nationally, Democrats will hold 30 governorships next year after net gains in six states during the 2026 elections.

Kreiss-Tomkins succeeds Dunleavy, who was term-limited and could not seek reelection, NBC News reported. The outlet's report did not include final vote-share percentages or total turnout figures for the race.

For the full rundown of the Alaska results and candidate backgrounds, see NBC News's report.