By SUZANNE DOWNING
Sept. 17, 2026 – Republican gubernatorial candidate Bernadette Wilson is calling on Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor to suspend their campaigns after a new AARP poll showed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins winning the governor’s race through ranked-choice voting, even though the three Republican candidates collectively begin with more votes than JKT.
The poll shows that Democrats have learned how to play Alaska’s ranked-choice voting game. Democrat Tom Begich suspended his campaign after finishing second in the primary and endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins, consolidating the Democrat vote behind one candidate. That left one Democrat running against three Republicans, which is a setup that allows Republican ballots to become exhausted when voters rank only one candidate, potentially handing the governor’s office to Kreiss-Tomkins.
The survey showed Kreiss-Tomkins leading the first round with 40% of the vote. Wilson received 20%, Bronson 14%, and Taylor 7%.
Combined, the three Republicans received 41%, one point more than Kreiss-Tomkins. But the poll’s ranked-choice simulation showed Kreiss-Tomkins ultimately prevailing as Republican candidates were eliminated and ballots were redistributed, and other ballots were simply dead-ended, or exhausted due to not ranking.
Wilson, who finished as the top Republican in the Aug. 18 primary, said the results demonstrate that the continued presence of Bronson and Taylor may very well hand the governor’s office to the Democrats.
According to the figures cited, 19% of Taylor’s voters did not rank a second choice, while 33% of Bronson’s voters did not select another candidate. Those ballots would become inactive after the voter’s first-choice candidate was eliminated rather than transferring to Wilson or another Republican.
“These poll results couldn’t be more clear: Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor need to do the right thing and unite behind our campaign,” Wilson said Thursday.
“Ballot exhaustion is an unfortunate reality of ranked choice voting, which is exactly why Tom Begich dropped out,” Wilson said.
Begich’s departure gave Democrats precisely what they needed under ranked-choice voting: one candidate around whom Democrat voters could consolidate. Republicans, meanwhile, remained divided among three campaigns, increasing the likelihood that some Republican voters would rank only their preferred candidate and leave the remaining ovals blank.
Wilson also rejected the idea that a “Rank the Red” campaign could reliably overcome the Republican split. She noted that registered Republicans account for only about 23% of Alaska’s electorate. Non-Republicans may be turned off by that “Rand the Red” messaging. In addition, substantial resources are being spent urging voters to repeal ranked-choice voting.
“Our campaign won the primary, we continue to grow our lead over the other Republicans, and we are ready to defeat socialist Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins,” Wilson said. “But if they continue with their campaigns, Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor will serve only as spoilers in this race, handing the governor’s office to the Democrats and greatly harming Alaska’s future.”
Wilson finished ahead of Bronson and Taylor in the primary, although Kreiss-Tomkins and Begich took the top two positions. Bronson initially secured the fourth general-election position. Taylor, who finished fifth, was elevated into the final four after Begich ended his campaign.
Taylor previously called on Wilson and Bronson to combine their campaigns and form a unified Republican ticket, offering to endorse such an arrangement. No agreement was reached. Instead, three Republicans and one Democrat remain in the Nov. 3 general election.
The new poll, released less than seven weeks before Election Day, puts renewed pressure on Bronson and Taylor to decide whether remaining in the race is worth the risk of electing Kreiss-Tomkins.
The AARP Alaska poll is only one snapshot of the electorate, but its ranked-choice simulation exposes the strategic advantage Democrats created by clearing their field. Republicans may begin with more combined support, but under ranked-choice voting, those votes do not necessarily remain in the Republican column.
Democrats have united behind one candidate. Unless Republicans do the same, the poll indicates ballot exhaustion — not the initial preference of a plurality of Alaska voters — could determine the state’s next governor.
Wall Street Journal: Ranked-choice voting has made Alaska a national laughingstock
18 thoughts on “Wilson calls on Bronson, Taylor to suspend their campaigns as poll shows Republican vote split handing victory to JKT”
“Non-Republicans may be turned off by that ‘Rank the Red’ messaging”. SFW? Bronson and Taylor can “suspend” their campaigns all they want. Their names will still be on the ballot. JKT supporters could rank them as spoilers. We have NO CHANCE of winning with single choice ballots. Only one clear path exists to win: Rank all three Rs IN THEIR PRIMARY ORDER. Or welcome JKT as your Governor. Your choice.
True. But perhaps a more effective approach is to suspend their campaigns and then focus all our limited resources on unifying the message to achieve the goal. If it’s really about what’s best for Alaska then they can do the right thing and continue to push for the ranking on the ballots as printed. It would be far more effective if they suspend and send that message to their supporters. “It’s important enough to suspend my campaign but we need you to rank in order” sounds a lot more convincing than “I know my staying in will likely cause many of you to not rank the other candidates so we lose to the far left extremist but rank anyway”. One sounds sincere one sounds self serving. One path may allow republicans to win, one will almost certainly be a losing battle.
Agreed.
The egos are too big and too much animosity (for whatever reason) for Bronson and Taylor to do the right thing for the state and Alaskans.
It’s a hell of a legacy they both will inherit unless they take one for the team.
Yes, however, but … Bernadette Wilson is unqualified to serve as Alaska’s governor. Her business acumen is deficient, her leadership abilities are minimal or non-existent, her morals are low, she owes money all over Anchorage, and her personality will make it impossible for her to maintain a stable staff. And Mike Shower is lazy.
We’d do much better with Dave Bronson.
That’s not for us to judge about Wilson, we can’t afford to attack any three. The GOP group and candidates need a strategy if they will run the three candidates so the majority of republicans and moderates and undeclared will get the message how to rank them in a unity order. The opponent isn’t Wilson, nor Bronson, nor Taylor. Their collective opponent is JKT and the Democrats he appoints into Commissioner positions, budget director, attorney general, chief of staff.
Agreed. And if she really believes that having three republican options will split the vote, why doesn’t she suspend her campaign? This “somebody else should do something” mentality isn’t leadership, it’s weakness and cowardice. Leaders don’t call on someone else to sacrifice, they make the necessary sacrifices for the good of those around them.
I’m sure it crossed Bernadette’s mind, after all because of there was twelve other Republicans running in the Primary, she did get third and trailed by quite a bit behind Tom Begich. Since she was awarded the Top Republican of all twelve. There be injustice that Republicans make her suspend.
However if two Republicans do not suspend, then All three Wilson, Bronson, and Taylor run the risk of All losing. By the end of November All the voters voting for either of them will be ANGRY 😡 at each of them. Just like Sarah Palin wrecked what little credibility she had left after the US House race. These three will be complained about being the spoiler and their professional reputation and image Forever tarnished.
She did pledge to drop out if she wasn’t the frontrunner. I believe she would have. The primary order is the primary order. Go with it or support JKT.
Thank you.
How ever you want to spin it. If Bronson won the primary, we would find character flaws and deficiencies in him too. I voted for Bronson in August. He did not win. Now I’m voting for Bernadette Wilson, who did win. If we don’t unify, and pretty damn quick, we get the bald headed homosexual radical fruitcake as our next governor. Let that sink in.
Brian, as of now all 3 Republicans will be on the ballot. To keep your ballot from RCV madness of “ballot exhaustion” you must vote for all 3. For you it would be Wilson#1, Bronson #2, and Taylor #3. This parallels their wins in the primary. If you only vote for Wilson and she is eliminated early your ballot will no longer be in play.
RANK ALL 3 OR GET homosexual leftist/marxist JKT.
Bronson and Taylor will not suspend their campaigns else they and the other 9 republicans would had left. They are in it for the Win.
If I was Bernedette I would had left at the Monday deadline, so not to be part of a Sh—- show then go help the Republicans still in the show. Because if All three Republicans lose, then all three Republicans (Wilson, Bronson, Taylor) reputation and image will hold a lifelong tarnish… I think they don’t recognize what is more at stake if they All lose because they are laser focused being the winner.
However! The game is what it is and as a group’s “Only one clear path exists to win: Rank all three Rs IN THEIR PRIMARY ORDER. Or welcome JKT as your Governor. Your choice.”@-M.John
Yes. 1Wilson, 2Bronson, 3Taylor. It’s not a matter of you want Your favorite to win. It’s a matter of keeping the Governor’s office out of the hands of the AKDemocrats.
Tina-
.
It’s not a matter of you want Your favorite to win. It’s a matter of keeping the Governor’s office out of the hands of the AKDemocrats.
.
Fully agree, and that’s the best thing I’ve seen you write.
.
Everyone needs to look at the bigger picture!
Furthermore ms Downing is going to have to be more careful how she writes up articles about Bronson and Taylor so not to discourage an already confused Republican group about Ranking the three in their primary order (hopefully by majority we rank in the Primary order)
Mayor Dan had it exactly correct in his comments which were posted a few days ago. The Democrats had their primary and the top vote getter got the nod to move forward while the other Dems backed down to support their number one. That’s how you play. …..a team effort.
.
Meanwhile, the Republicans are still holding their primary in November. That’s how you lose the game. Three stars don’t make the team. All hands onboard with one candidate and the Republicans will win. The math bears this out.
.
Otherwise, Alaska gets its first queer, radical, left-wing Marxist governor.
Bronson can win this outright. You can’t trust the polls. The polls had Harris winning in 2024! Thank God she didn’t win because you know darn well she would have got us into another forever war!
For Wilson to prefer people rank her only and holding voters to only one chance and expire the rest of they’er votes is self centered and not thinking about the state of Alaska, I also believe Bronson will pick up more voters of the Republican candidates that were dropped and remember, few voted in the jungle primary and Wilson only received 10% of the vote.
Summarize; 1) Bronson, 2) Taylor, 3) Wilson.