Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins to Be First Alaska Governor Born After Statehood

Detailed summary

Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins won the Alaska gubernatorial election with more than 50 percent of first choice votes.

Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has defeated three Republican opponents to win Alaska’s gubernatorial election flipping the governor’s mansion in the traditionally red state.

The November 3 midterm elections saw Democrats flip both the House and Senate, along with a slew of governors’ mansions, including victories in historic Republican strongholds as voters turned on President Donald Trump over issues such as the cost-of-living and war in Iran.

The Associated Press called the Alaska contest on Friday evening local time with Kreiss-Tomkins securing 50.8 percent of the vote, against 28.1 percent for Trump-endorsed opponent Bernadette Wilson.

Two other Republican candidates also ran; Dave Bronson who got 13.6 percent of the vote and Treg Taylor who secured 7.7 percent.

Unlike most other states, Alaska uses a ranked-choice voting system, allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference and multiple candidates from the same party to compete. However, because Kreiss-Tomkins secured more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, he won outright without the need for additional rounds of vote counting.

Trump had criticized the candidacies of Bronson and Taylor and accused them of dividing the Republican vote.

Kreiss-Tomkins will replace the term-limited Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy who has served in the role since 2018.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Newsweek. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.