<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/alaska/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Alaska</a> Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Begich announced on Friday that he is withdrawing from the race for governor and endorsing fellow Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, the only other Democrat in the four-person general election.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Begich, who placed second in Alaska’s open gubernatorial primary, cited insufficient fundraising as a key reason for his decision. He expressed the need for Democratic voters to unite behind a single candidate to enhance their chances in the upcoming election. Kreiss-Tomkins, who finished first in the primary, will now run against Republicans Bernadette Wilson and Dave Bronson.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">“When so many Alaskans are already stretched thin, we cannot keep asking them to give more and more just to compete with much larger amounts of money flowing into politics in Alaska. Running this campaign through November would take millions more than we have,” Begich stated in a video message.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">He added, “We’ve spoken with the other leading Democrat in this race. He shared data, and we’ve reviewed our own internal information. And the data we’ve seen makes clear that the strongest path to winning in November is not two Democratic candidates competing for the same donors and resources. It’s bringing those people together behind one ticket.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Begich and his running mate, former Biden administration official Julia Hnilicka, endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins, with Hnilicka noting that “stakes are too high to ignore this reality.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In the August 18 primary, Kreiss-Tomkins received 22.5% of the vote, while Begich garnered 20.8%. Wilson and Bronson received 10% and 8.1% of the vote, respectively. There were approximately 10 other GOP candidates and three independents in the primary, with Kreiss-Tomkins and Begich being the only Democrats.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Following her primary success, Wilson called for unity among Republican candidates, stating, “With 12 hardworking and qualified Republican candidates, coming in first place took a tremendous effort that’s now paid off. It’s time for our party to unite and focus on stopping the far left from turning Alaska into California. Our state can rise again, but it’s going to take common sense conservative leadership from outside the stale bureaucratic system – and that’s what I’m offering to voters in November.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Bronson and his running mate, Josh Church, announced they are remaining in the race, stating that their combined vote share represents roughly 80% of the Republican primary vote. Bronson said, “We hear the calls for unity, and we are answering them. We are staying in this race because we believe Alaskans deserve a choice, and we believe there is a winning coalition of conservatives, Republicans, Independents, and nonpartisan Alaskans who want proven leadership, responsible resource development, smaller government, and a governor who will put Alaska first.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The election is being held to replace term-limited Gov. <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/404458/midterm-results-alaska-gov-mike-dunleavy-secures-a-second-term-under-states-new-voting-system/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mike Dunleavy</a> (R-AK), who won with 50.3% of the vote in 2022 against one other Republican, one Democrat, and one Independent.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As of April 2026, <em>Cook Political Report</em> rated the seat Likely Republican.</p>