Democrats begin consolidating support behind JKT, with AFL-CIO endorsement for governor

By SUZANNE DOWNING

Aug. 27, 2026 – The Alaska AFL-CIO has endorsed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for governor, giving the primary election’s top vote-getter the backing of the state’s largest organized labor federation heading into the Nov. 3 general election. The Democrats have begun to consolidate their support for the top-vote-getting Democrat, known as JKT.

The endorsement was approved Thursday by the federation’s vice presidents during the Alaska AFL-CIO’s 41st biennial convention in Anchorage.

JKT finished first in Alaska’s open primary and is advancing to the ranked-choice general election with Democrat Tom Begich and Republicans Bernadette Wilson and Dave Bronson following.

Alaska AFL-CIO President Joelle Hall said Kreiss-Tomkins earned the endorsement by traveling extensively around the state and supporting labor priorities during his decade in the Alaska House.

“As union leaders, we know the importance of talking to all of our members, regardless of where they live,” Hall said. “JKT has spent his entire campaign crossing our state, talking with Alaskans about the issues that matter most.”

Hall cited Kreiss-Tomkins’ support for public schools, capital spending, roads, harbors and the Permanent Fund. She also highlighted several policies that would likely become priorities under a Kreiss-Tomkins administration, including increased school funding, larger capital budgets, protections for paid sick leave, lower health care costs and a defined-benefit pension system for public employees.

“JKT knows we must fight to fund our schools, build robust capital budgets, protect paid sick leave, lower healthcare costs, and establish a defined-benefit pension for Alaska’s public employees,” Hall said.

The pension issue is particularly defining. Alaska closed its traditional defined-benefit retirement plans to new public employees in 2006 after going heavily into the red, but public-sector unions have mounted an increasingly aggressive campaign to restore pensions for teachers, police officers, firefighters, and all state and municipal government workers.

Hall also used the endorsement announcement to deliver a blistering assessment of term-limited Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, accusing him of undermining schools and public employees during his eight years in office.

“For the last 8 years, we have had a governor who takes every opportunity to put workers down,” Hall said. “A governor who has spent his entire tenure in office starving our schools, belittling our dedicated public servants, and ensnaring Alaska in lower-48 culture war issues.”

The endorsement further consolidates major Democratic and organized-labor support behind Kreiss-Tomkins, who already entered the general election with a considerable fundraising advantage. His campaign raised more than any other candidate in the crowded gubernatorial field, although the overwhelming majority of his contributions came from outside Alaska. He has raised more funds than any gubernatorial candidate in Alaska history, much of it coming from Anthropic and other artificial intelligence executives.

The AFL-CIO’s decision is also a setback for Anchorage singer-songwriter Tom Begich, the other Democrat advancing to the general election. While both Democrats may appear on the November ballot, the federation made clear that it views Kreiss-Tomkins—not Begich—as the candidate most likely to win. Tom Begich may choose to drop, or there may be a combined ticket of JKT and Tom Begich.

“JKT is the candidate who will win this race and deliver results for Alaska’s working families,” Hall said.

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The federation pledged to spend the remaining 68 days before the election contacting union households and mobilizing members on Kreiss-Tomkins’ behalf.

“Alaska’s labor movement will be spending the next 68 days talking to our members and ensuring JKT is the 13th Governor of the great State of Alaska,” Hall said.

The Alaska AFL-CIO previously endorsed Democrat Mary Peltola for US Senate and independent Bill Hill for Alaska’s US House seat, placing the state’s organized labor establishment squarely behind the challengers at the top of Alaska’s November ballot.

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