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· collected 2026-08-19 · by Charles Creitz
Former state Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and his running mate Zac Johnson have come out on top in Alaska's primary election, along with former Democratic state Senator Tom Begich and Julia Hnilicks, advancing to the November general election. The contest was part of a ranked-choice voting process where voters rank candidates by preference, eliminating lower-performing candidates in successive rounds. 17 pairs of governor-lieutenant governor candidates competed for spots on the ballot, with several major political names among them. Begich's family has been involved in Alaska politics for decades, and he is considered a strong candidate to potentially flip the governor's mansion from Republican control.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Seventeen governor-lieutenant governor candidate pairs competed in Alaska's primary election, with former state Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and his running mate Zac Johnson finishing first, and former Democratic state Sen. Tom Begich and Julia Hnilicks coming in second. These three pairs will advance to the November general election, along with two more winning governor-lieutenant governor pairs. The election was part of a larger contest for Alaska's next governor, as incumbent Republican Governor Michael Dunleavy is term-limited. Begich, whose family has been involved in Alaska politics since statehood, was initially seen as a frontrunner but ultimately finished second. Kreiss-Tomkins and Johnson will face off against the other advancing pairs in November to determine who will succeed Dunleavy.
Written for “Alaska Governor Election” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
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Though Alaska is considered a red state, Dunleavy’s departure gives Democrats such as Begich an opportunity to flip the governor’s mansion.
left asserts that Alaska is a 'red state' and implies that Begich's candidacy has a chance to change this
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Begich III defeated then-Rep. Mary Peltola last cycle after Peltola had won the seat following the death of Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, who had represented the state for nearly five decades.
left frames Begich's election as an opportunity to 'flip' the governor's mansion, implying a partisan victory
Leaning score -0.45 for article 1335 (medium confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-08-21
Seventeen governor-lieutenant governor candidate pairs battled Tuesday to make the primary cutoff and advance to the November general election to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Michael Dunleavy.
asserted
pairs → battle → Dunleavy
Former state Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins and running mate Zac Johnson finished first, while former Democratic state Sen. Tom Begich and Julia Hnilicks finished second.
asserted
Begich → finish → ?
They will advance to the November general election, alongside two more winning governor-lieutenant governor pairs.
asserted
They → advance → pairs
The frontrunner heading into Tuesday’s contest was Begich, whose family has been involved in Alaska politics nearly since the Last Frontier achieved statehood.
asserted
Frontier → head → statehood
Tom Begich’s father, Rep. Nick Begich Sr., D-Alaska, served in the state and federal legislatures from 1962 until a plane carrying him and House Majority Leader Hale Boggs, D-La., disappeared during a flight through the Inside Passage between Anchorage and Juneau.
asserted
plane → serve → Anchorage
Business owner Bernadette Wilson is among the leading Republicans in the nonpartisan primary.
asserted
Wilson → lead → primary
Wilson grew up on the Kenai, and her family has lived in Alaska for generations.
asserted
family → grow → generations
Dunleavy’s Republican deputy, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, another leading Republican candidate, dropped out of the race in June.
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deputy → lead → June
Gilbert told Ballotpedia he wants to expand the state’s energy dominance and consider a highway link to the Lower 48.
asserted
he → tell → 48
Gilbert’s running mate, Timothy Hickel, represents another storied Alaskan political family.
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mate → represent → family
Former Gov. Wally Hickel, Timothy’s father, served two nonconsecutive terms as governor decades apart and also served as President Richard Nixon’s interior secretary.
The western bypass of downtown Anchorage that serves Ted Stevens International Airport is known as the Walter J. Hickel Parkway.
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that → serve → Parkway
Former Anchorage Mayor David Bronson, a Republican, is also considered a leading candidate.
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Bronson → consider → ?
The state uses ranked-choice voting in general elections.
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state → use → elections
Voters rank candidates by preference, and votes are redistributed in successive rounds as lower-performing candidates are eliminated.
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candidates → rank → rounds
Though Alaska is considered a red state, Dunleavy’s departure gives Democrats such as Begich an opportunity to flip the governor’s mansion.
asserted
departure → consider → mansion
Begich III defeated then-Rep. Mary Peltola last cycle after Peltola had won the seat following the death of Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, who had represented the state for nearly five decades.
asserted
who → defeat → decades
