US Midterm Polls 2026: Who is Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins? Democrat against three Republicans in race for Alaska governor

As America readies itself for the November 3 midterm polls, the race for state governor has caught everyone’s attention. The gubernatorial race will see voters choosing from three Republicans and one Democrat on the general election ballot to replace current Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy.

The early voting in the state will end on November 2, 2026 (Monday), a day before the election. It is pertinent to note that he is not in the reckoning this time around due to consecutive term limits under the Alaska Constitution. He was first elected in 2018 and was reelected in 2022.

Who are running in the gubernatorial race

The top four candidates who will be battling it out in the race for the governor include one Democrat and three Republicans. Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, Republican Bernadette Wilson, and Republican Dave Bronson, who has been a former Anchorage mayor.

Another Republican in the race is Treg Taylor, who is the former Alaska Attorney General. Besides the gubernatorial race, Alaska will also be casting ballots for the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House, and the state legislature, plus two ballot measures.

Who is Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins?

Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, the Democratic Party candidate in the race for governor of Alaska. 2026. According to online platform Ballot Pedia, he made it to the top 4 after advancing from the primary on August 18, 2026.

Kreiss-Tomkins was a member of the Alaska House of Representatives. He represented District 35. He assumed office on January 15, 2013, and left on January 17, 2023. Notably, he did not run for re-election in 2022.

Born in Sitka, Jonathan S. Kreiss-Tomkins went to Sitka High School. He studied public policy at Yale College. According to his election campaign website, Kreiss-Tomkins dropped out of college in the final year without a degree. During the course of his career, he has worked as a substitute teacher, deckhand on a troller, and administrator with the Sitka Fine Arts Camp.

In Alaska, all candidates compete on a single nonpartisan blanket primary ballot, and all those candidates who finish in the top four advance to the general election. From here, a ranked choice voting comes into the picture.


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Primary elections in Alaska are held on the third Tuesday in August of even-numbered years. General elections are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years.

What is the Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) system?

According to the Alaska law, all general elections will be conducted by Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). RCV allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. Only the top four candidates who receive the greatest number of votes in the open primary advance to appear on the general election ballot or the next higher finisher if a candidate withdraws.

A candidate is required to secure a majority (50% + 1) of total votes cast to win. If no candidate receives a majority of 1st choice votes in the first round of counting, more rounds of counting continue until a candidate reaches a majority.

The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are transferred to the voter’s next ranked choices. The process continues until a candidate archives an outright majority.