Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins said he is preparing transition plans and policy priorities even as Alaska’s governor’s race remained undecided. He told an Anchorage audience he was in a “little bit of a liminal space” while waiting for outstanding ballots to be counted.
His campaign said 30,000 ballots remained to be counted, and Kreiss-Tomkins was ahead of three Republican candidates with just over 50% of first-choice votes as of Thursday night. He said his internal projection put him at 51% and 52% once the remaining ballots are counted.
Anchorage transition plan
At the Resource Development Council annual conference in Anchorage on Wednesday, Kreiss-Tomkins said the transition would be overseen by three co-chairs, a Republican, a Democrat and an independent. He said those co-chairs would oversee policy teams working across different policy areas and verticals for the transition and the next administration. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins Leads 55.3% in Alaska Governor Race
He also said he wanted to “focus on making government work” and “cultivate a culture of constant improvement in state government.” In the same remarks, he said, “We want to be an administration for all Alaskans,” and added, “I think the country needs that. I think Alaska needs that.”
Policy priorities in Alaska
Kreiss-Tomkins pointed to delays in the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities’ adoption of a federally required long-term plan. He also cited a longstanding backlog in processing applications for food assistance and other social safety net programs. He said the next administration may keep some continuity in state government in certain agencies while moving in different directions in others. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins Leads 48.9% in 2026 Alaska Gubernatorial Election
He said, “I have a lot of respect for a number of commissioners in the current cabinet,” and, “We may see some continuity in state government in certain agencies, while going different directions in other areas.” That leaves the race in a narrow space: Kreiss-Tomkins is talking like a likely winner, but the final count still has to close out the governor’s race.
Nov. 25 and Dec. 7
Additional ballot counts were expected on Friday and Wednesday, with Alaska election results set to be certified by Nov. 25. The new governor is set to be sworn in 12 days later, on Dec. 7. That short window means transition planning is happening before the result is formally final, and the next administration would need to move quickly once the count is complete.
