JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins said Saturday that being the first Democrat elected governor in Alaska in nearly 30 years holds special meaning for him and he credits his win to an ambitious campaign that “covered every corner of the state.”
Winning as a Democrat on a statewide level in Alaska can be like “working against gravity,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press. The 37-year-old former state representative, who often
goes by JKT, also said he was proud of the “big-tent base of support” he received from Alaskans of all political backgrounds.
Kreiss-Tomkins traveled more than 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometers) within the vast state to pitch himself to voters, including hundreds of miles (kilometers) by snow machine and by boat to visit rural villages, according to his campaign. Most communities in Alaska are not connected to the main road system and often are only accessible by air or water. The campaign said it had more than 10,000 individual donors.
Kreiss-Tomkins defeated three Republicans in the Nov. 3 general election, including Bernadette Wilson. Wilson was endorsed by President Donald Trump, who carried the state in each of his presidential races. Trump announced the endorsement while in Alaska last month for a rally in support of GOP candidates including U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Messages seeking comment were left with Wilson's campaign Friday and Saturday. The two other Republicans in the race — Dave Bronson, a former mayor of Anchorage, and Treg Taylor, a former state attorney general — wished Kreiss-Tomkins success.
His victory means Democrats will control governor’s offices in 30 states, including several they flipped after years of Republican control.
Kreiss-Tomkins succeeds Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who was barred by term limits from seeking a third consecutive stint in office. Kreiss-Tomkins said he ran into Dunleavy on Saturday at a state office building in Anchorage, and the two spoke in Dunleavy's office.
“I appreciated the conversation. It was gracious. He’s been very open and wanting to be helpful,” Kreiss-Tomkins said.
Kreiss-Tomkins said during the campaign that over the last eight years, Alaska became “broken” and experienced a “loss of optimism.” He emphasized a willingness to compromise and work across party lines and said he wanted a Cabinet with Republicans, Democrats and independents. He focused on issues including affordability and advocated for full funding of K-12 public schools.
Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski was among those who endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins, as did former governors including her father, Republican Frank Murkowski; Bill Walker, an independent; and Tony Knowles, the state's last Democratic governor, who left office in 2002 after two terms.
Kreiss-Tomkins said he is still working on assembling his team. He will be sworn in Dec. 7 along with his lieutenant governor, Zac Johnson, an independent.
Kreiss-Tomkins said his decade-long experience in the Legislature will be an asset in his new role. One of the first issues he hopes to tackle during the legislative session beginning in January is passage of an education budget that he wants to see happen quickly.
Legislative leaders have outlined plans to organize bipartisan coalitions in both the House and Senate.
