The candidate field for Alaska’s gubernatorial election has begun to take shape following Tuesday's open primary. Democratic former state Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, former state Senator Tom Begich, and Republican businesswoman Bernadette Wilson have secured three of the four available spots for the general election. The race is to succeed Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy, who is unable to run again due to term limits.
Alaska utilizes a nonpartisan primary system where all candidates appear on a single ballot regardless of party affiliation. Under this system, the top four finishers advance to the general election, which is decided by ranked-choice voting. More than a dozen candidates participated in the primary contest.
As of Wednesday morning, Kreiss-Tomkins led the field with nearly 22 percent of the vote, followed by Begich with 20 percent and Wilson with approximately 10 percent. Election officials have not yet identified the fourth candidate who will advance to the general election. The Cook Political Report currently classifies the race as "likely Republican," though it noted the contest moved away from a "solidly red" rating in April due to the complexities of the ranked-choice system and the entry of various candidates.
The scale of this race involves a transition from the administration of Governor Mike Dunleavy (R) to one of the four finalists emerging from a primary that featured over 12 candidates. Voters in the general election will use a ranked-choice ballot, a method that requires voters to rank candidates by preference rather than selecting just one. This system can result in a winner who was not the initial first-choice for a plurality of voters, but who maintains broader consensus across the final rankings.
Day-to-day, Alaskans may notice changes in state agency directives and legislative priorities once the new governor takes office. The Cook Political Report suggests that while Democrats have not won an Alaska gubernatorial race since 1998, the ranked-choice format and the decision of high-profile figures like Representative Mary Peltola (D) to run for Senate instead of governor have introduced new variables into the contest. The general election field is now being finalized as the remaining votes from Tuesday's primary are tallied to determine the fourth and final participant.
What happens next: Election officials will continue to process ballots to identify the fourth candidate who will join Kreiss-Tomkins, Begich, and Wilson on the November ballot. The general election will then proceed using ranked-choice voting to select the next governor. Further specific dates for certification or the general election were not reported in the source material.