Alaska Democrats unite behind one candidate in bid to flip long-lost governor’s seat

Tom Begich withdrew from Alaska’s governor’s race on Monday and threw his support behind fellow Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, consolidating the party’s campaign to win a governor’s seat it has not held in nearly 25 years.

Begich finished just behind Kreiss-Tomkins in the crowded August 18 primary, which included 12 Republicans and several independents. Under Alaska’s unusual election system, the four candidates receiving the most votes advance to the November general election regardless of party affiliation.

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Monday was the final day for candidates to withdraw from the ballot. Begich’s exit leaves Kreiss-Tomkins as the only Democrat in the governor’s race.

Begich and his running mate, Julia Hnilicka, announced late Friday that they were suspending their campaign and endorsing Kreiss-Tomkins, who received the most votes in the primary. Their campaign said it had raised more than $1.3 million but would require millions more to continue.

After reviewing internal data and information provided by the Kreiss-Tomkins campaign, Begich and Hnilicka said they had concluded “that the strongest path to victory is to bring Democratic voters, donors and resources together behind one candidate.”

“Rather than competing over visions that share so much in common, we are choosing to put our strength behind a shared vision for Alaska,” Begich said.

Democrats see an opening

The Democratic campaign is centred on issues including stable and full funding for public education, housing, healthcare and energy costs, as well as ensuring Alaska receives a “fair share” from the development of its oil and gas resources.

That position generally includes support for higher taxes on the oil and gas industries. Kreiss-Tomkins said he would work to win over Begich’s supporters and carry those priorities into the general election.

“To hell with political infighting,” he said. “Let's build a future made in Alaska.” The Alaska Democratic Party said Democrats were in “lockstep” as they sought to reclaim the governor’s office.

The last Democrat to serve as Alaska’s governor was Tony Knowles, who held the office for two consecutive terms from 1994 to 2002.

The Division of Elections confirmed that Begich had withdrawn from the race.

Republicans face their own ballot drama

The highest-finishing Republicans in the August primary were Bernadette Wilson, a conservative activist and business owner, and Dave Bronson, a former mayor of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city.

Neither campaign immediately responded to requests for comment on Monday, nor did the chair of the state Republican Party.

Treg Taylor, a former state attorney general, finished fifth in the primary vote. His candidacy was nevertheless decertified on Monday by Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom after the state’s campaign finance commission recommended the move.

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The commission found that Taylor had not “substantially comply[ied]” with financial disclosure requirements.

Taylor’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

His running mate for lieutenant governor, Candi English, was subsequently elevated on the ticket and selected Taylor’s wife, Jodi Taylor, as her running mate. The campaign was also contacted for comment.

The Division of Elections had not immediately posted a final list of candidates.

A family name at the centre of Alaska politics

Begich comes from a prominent Alaska political family with longstanding Democratic ties.

His father, Nick Begich, a US congressman, was declared dead after a small plane carrying him and then-House Majority Leader Hale Boggs disappeared during a campaign trip in Alaska in 1972.

His brother, Mark Begich, served one term in the US Senate.

Tom Begich, who served in the Alaska Legislature, was known for working across party lines.

His nephew, also named Nick Begich, is a Republican and Alaska’s only member of the US House. He is seeking a second term this year and has endorsed Wilson in the governor’s race.

Nick Begich said on social media that Republicans should rally behind Wilson to improve their chances, although he would rank any other Republican who remains in the race.

He said he was not a fan of ranked voting but that “we must currently work within it in order to keep Alaska's recent momentum going strong.”

Ranked voting reshapes the race

Alaska began using open primaries followed by ranked-choice general elections in 2022.

Supporters of ranked-choice voting say the system reduces the so-called spoiler effect, in which candidates with similar views divide the vote, by allowing voters to rank candidates by preference. But not every voter ranks candidates beyond their first choice.

It is not unusual under Alaska’s system for candidates who finish among the top four in a primary to later withdraw and back the highest vote-getter from their party.

A similar reshuffling occurred in the US House race.

Vote tallies released Monday showed Democrat John Williams advancing in the fourth slot, but he subsequently withdrew, as did a Republican and another Democrat who finished behind him, according to the Division of Elections. Libertarian Jim McDermott was next in line.

The House race includes Republican Nick Begich and independent Bill Hill. Hill received the endorsement of Matt Schultz, the highest-profile Democrat in the race, after Schultz suspended his campaign before the primary.

Also advancing is a Democrat with no apparent ties to Alaska who is serving a federal prison sentence in New York.

With Governor Mike Dunleavy, a Republican, barred by term limits from seeking a third consecutive term, Alaska’s unusual election system has produced a wide-open contest — and Democrats now have just one candidate left standing on their side of the ballot.