# Alaska elects first Democratic governor since 1998

> Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins defeats three Republicans in a midterm wave that gives Democrats control of 30 state governorships.
- Title: Alaska elects first Democratic governor since 1998 · CBS News
- Summary: Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins defeats three Republicans in a midterm wave that gives Democrats control of 30 state governorships.
- Keywords: jonathan kreiss-tomkins, alaska governor election, democrats, republicans, midterm elections, mike dunleavy, lisa murkowski, CBS News
- Source: CBS News — https://cbsnews.com/news/alaska-governor-jkt-jonathan-kreiss-tomkins-election
- Published: 2026-11-14T07:11:29+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: jonathan kreiss-tomkins, alaska governor election, democrats, republicans, midterm elections, mike dunleavy, lisa murkowski, news
## Alaska breaks 24-year Democratic drought
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, often called JKT, defeated three Republicans including one endorsed by President Trump. He is Alaska's first Democratic governor since 1998.
## Kreiss-Tomkins campaigned on affordability and schools
The 37-year-old former state lawmaker focused on affordability, full public school funding, corporate income tax for oil and gas producers, and a moratorium on new data centers.
## He criticized Dunleavy's eight-year record
Kreiss-Tomkins said Alaska had become broken under outgoing Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy. He cited a state ferry system left in shambles with routes to many communities cut drastically.
## Democrat's victory part of national wave
Democrats now control the governor's office in 30 states, including Iowa, Georgia, Ohio and Texas, which they flipped after years of Republican control in the midterm elections.
## Key takeaway

Alaska elected Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins as governor, the first from his party since 1998, as Democrats gained control of 30 state governorships nationally.