Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins is a Democrat and former Alaska state representative who represented Sitka and rural Southeast communities for 10 years. He won the August 18 open primary with 22.5%; after second-place finisher Tom Begich withdrew and endorsed him, Kreiss-Tomkins became the sole Democrat in the general election against three Republicans. His campaign emphasizes bipartisan governance, public education, rural and coastal communities, fisheries and a regulated approach to data-center development.
Positions of Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on key issues
Issue
Stance
Confidence
Sources
Climate/Energy
Kreiss-Tomkins supports developing a mix of renewable energy, hydropower, and natural gas to lower Alaskans’ utility costs, cooperation among Railbelt utilities, Alaska Energy Authority Renewable Energy Fund support, and an economically viable natural-gas pipeline, while opposing a second unnecessary LNG import terminal. In a post-primary August 26, 2026 forum, he said all sectors, including the oil industry, would need to contribute taxes to address Alaska’s structural deficit; the forum reporting also records his broader emphasis on compromise rather than a specific new climate mandate.
Kreiss-Tomkins frames Alaska’s economic agenda around lowering costs, balancing the state budget, and supporting broad energy development. His campaign platform calls for developing renewables, hydro, and natural gas; cheaper electricity through cooperation among Railbelt utilities; an economically viable Alaska natural-gas pipeline; housing construction and infrastructure investment to lower costs and support businesses; and protecting the Permanent Fund from overspending. In a post-primary Aug. 26 forum, he said all sectors, including the oil industry, would need to contribute taxes to address Alaska’s structural deficit and that compromises would be required, while emphasizing bipartisan, common-ground governance.
Kreiss-Tomkins supports expanding Medicaid and partnering with Alaska tribal health organizations to secure maximum federal healthcare funding. His campaign platform also proposes reducing costs through telehealth, expanding appropriate scopes of practice for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, optometrists, and dental health aides, expanding in-home care, and strengthening safety standards in healthcare facilities; The Hill reported after the primary that he was running on Medicaid expansion.
Kreiss-Tomkins's 2026 campaign platform says he would defend Alaska women's right to choose and ensure access to contraception, indicating support for abortion access and reproductive healthcare. The platform does not specify additional limits, funding policies, or executive actions concerning abortion; he also did not answer an April 2026 Alaska Watchman questionnaire asking how he would protect unborn Alaskans from abortion.
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins’s current official gubernatorial platform does not identify immigration as a policy area and does not state a position on border enforcement, asylum, or protections for Dreamers. The available post–August 26, 2026 reporting reviewed likewise did not provide a specific immigration proposal or statement, so the earlier secondary characterization should not be treated as independently corroborated.
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins's 2026 campaign platform does not identify a specific firearms or Second Amendment policy. During his legislative career, he voted against an Alaska House measure that sought to exempt firearms and ammunition possessed by Alaskans from federal gun laws and impose penalties on federal agents; that vote indicates opposition to that specific measure, but does not by itself establish a comprehensive current firearms policy.
Kreiss-Tomkins’s campaign platform says he would protect Alaskans—including Alaska Natives and LGBTQ Alaskans—from discrimination and prejudice, defend Alaska women’s right to choose, ensure access to contraception, protect privacy from mass-surveillance technology, and protect voters’ personal information from federal intrusion.
Kreiss-Tomkins supports fully funding Alaska’s public schools and adopting a constitutional amendment to forward-fund education for greater budget certainty. His proposals also include revising the state funding formula, funding sports and extracurriculars, removing cell phones from classrooms, paying teachers fairly, and creating a defined-benefit retirement system to improve teacher recruitment and retention.
Kreiss-Tomkins supports strict regulation of artificial intelligence and data-center development in Alaska. He proposes a moratorium on new data centers until comprehensive regulation is enacted, local approval and binding community-benefit agreements, full payment of electricity costs without subsidies to existing ratepayers, liability for AI-related harms, human review of state decisions involving AI, disclosure of AI-generated political advertising, restrictions on misleading deepfakes, and enforcement against AI-enabled crime and harmful content targeting children and families. He has also publicly cited risks including disinformation, job displacement, hacking, privacy violations, and recursive self-improvement.
Kreiss-Tomkins says his administration would prioritize rural and coastal Alaska by fully funding and forward-funding public schools, protecting subsistence and fisheries, investing in ports, harbors, roads and airports, and rebuilding the Alaska Marine Highway System with new vessels and independent management. He also says remote communities are too often overlooked and that state government should focus on practical local needs through bipartisan problem-solving.
Kreiss-Tomkins supports retaining Alaska’s open primary and ranked-choice general-election system; in a July 28, 2026 interview, he said protecting the integrity of Alaska’s voter rolls and resisting federal intrusion into election administration would be a red line. His campaign platform also supports reinstituting campaign-contribution limits for state elections and protecting voters’ personal information from federal intrusion. On August 31, after the primary, he remained the top-finishing candidate and Tom Begich withdrew while endorsing him, consolidating the Democratic ticket for the November governor’s election.
Kreiss-Tomkins supports developing a mix of renewable energy, hydropower, and natural gas to lower Alaskans’ utility costs, cooperation among Railbelt utilities, Alaska Energy Authority Renewable Energy Fund support, and an economically viable natural-gas pipeline, while opposing a second unnecessary LNG import terminal. In a post-primary August 26, 2026 forum, he said all sectors, including the oil industry, would need to contribute taxes to address Alaska’s structural deficit; the forum reporting also records his broader emphasis on compromise rather than a specific new climate mandate.
Choose another issue above to review the remaining researched positions.
No public position found: Foreign Policy
Background
Career History
Member, Alaska House of Representatives2013 – 2023
Alaska House of Representatives
Represented District 35 (Southeast Alaska), chairing the House State Affairs Committee; sponsored HB 216 making 20 Alaska Native languages official state languages.
Founder
Outer Coast College
Founded the Sitka-based liberal arts college.
Founder
Alaska Fellows Program
Founded the Alaska Fellows Program.
Co-founder2020 – Present
Covid Act Now
Co-founded the Covid Act Now pandemic data-tracking initiative.
Education
Yale UniversityAttended (no degree) in Undergraduate
Top Donors
Raised approximately $2.17M as of the August 8, 2026 APOC filing, the largest total in the field and more than 80% from outside Alaska. His top city was a cluster of six employees of California AI company Anthropic who gave a combined $372K, including a $100K contribution from Drake Thomas. He has said he opposes data-center construction in Alaska until the Legislature passes comprehensive data-center regulation.
Served as a Democratic Alaska State Representative for District 35 from 2013 to 2022, including as chair of the House State Affairs Committee. Sponsored legislation that became law on limited teacher certificates for language instructors and extension of the Alaska regional economic assistance program, plus bills on access to marijuana conviction records, vote-by-mail, and campaign contribution limits. In the 2026 race he has been endorsed by the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association, Alaska NEA, and multiple labor unions.