Kreiss-Tomkins tops 50% in Alaska governor count, which would avoid a ranked-choice round

Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has passed the 50% mark in Alaska's race for governor. That is the line a candidate must clear to win without a ranked-choice runoff. Newsweek reported he had 50.2% of the vote in the latest count, ahead of three Republicans ¹.

As of early Friday, 88% of votes were counted. Bernadette M. Wilson, a television and radio host, had 28.7%. Dave Bronson had 13.8% and Treg Taylor had 7.3% ¹.

Why 50% matters

Alaska voters adopted ranked-choice voting and an open primary in 2020. Voters can rank candidates in order of preference ¹.

If no one tops 50% of first-choice votes, the last-place candidate is dropped. Those ballots move to each voter's next choice, and the process repeats until someone has a majority ¹. If Kreiss-Tomkins stays above 50%, that step is not needed, and the result should be announced without ranked-choice tabulation ¹.

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More votes remain to be counted, so his share could still move ¹.

How the count has moved

His share has crept up since Election Day. On Nov. 5, nearly all precincts had reported, and he had 49.1% to Wilson's 29.2% ³. By Monday, Nov. 9, he had 49.9% after about 25,000 more ballots were counted, for a total of just over 245,000 ².

He was left as the only Democrat on the ballot after former state Sen. Tom Begich, who placed second in the primary with about 21%, withdrew to avoid splitting the vote ¹. Kreiss-Tomkins had about 23% in the 17-candidate primary ¹.

feel cautiously optimistic we're on track to do that.

As of the Nov. 10 report, Wilson had not conceded, and Kreiss-Tomkins had not claimed victory. His campaign projected he would win a majority of first-choice votes once all ballots were counted ².

What happens next

Tens of thousands of ballots were still to be tallied as of the Nov. 10 report ². The new governor is expected to be sworn in on Dec. 7 ².

Ballot Measure 2 would have repealed the state's election system. It was on track to fail, with 52.6% voting against it ².

That matters because a first-round majority would end any argument over how ranked-choice ballots were tallied. The caution is that only a final count settles it. Kreiss-Tomkins's margin over 50% is thin, and counting is not finished ¹².

Kreiss-Tomkins has said his priorities include K-12 school funding, teacher and public employee retirement, and the cost of living ³.

The Record

1. Nov 3, 2026Election Day: Kreiss-Tomkins faced three Republicans on the ballot in Alaska's governor race ¹.
2. Nov 5, 2026With nearly all precincts reporting, Kreiss-Tomkins had 49.1% and Wilson 29.2% ³.
3. Nov 9, 2026After about 25,000 more ballots were counted, he had 49.9% ².
4. Nov 13, 2026With 88% of votes counted, he reached 50.2%, enough to win outright if it holds ¹.

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<h2>Kreiss-Tomkins tops 50% in Alaska governor count, which would avoid a ranked-choice round</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Campaign Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/kreiss-tomkins-tops-50-in-alaska-governor-count-which-would-avoid-a-ranked-choice">The GOP Files</a> on Friday, November 13, 2026.</em></p> <p>Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has passed the 50% mark in Alaska&#39;s race for governor. That is the line a candidate must clear to win without a ranked-choice runoff. Newsweek reported he had 50.2% of the vote in the latest count, ahead of three Republicans .</p> <p>As of early Friday, 88% of votes were counted. Bernadette M. Wilson, a television and radio host, had 28.7%. Dave Bronson had 13.8% and Treg Taylor had 7.3% .</p> <h2>Why 50% matters</h2> <p>Alaska voters adopted ranked-choice voting and an open primary in 2020. Voters can rank candidates in order of preference .</p> <p>If no one tops 50% of first-choice votes, the last-place candidate is dropped. Those ballots move to each voter&#39;s next choice, and the process repeats until someone has a majority . If Kreiss-Tomkins stays above 50%, that step is not needed, and the result should be announced without ranked-choice tabulation .</p> <p>More votes remain to be counted, so his share could still move .</p> <h2>How the count has moved</h2> <p>His share has crept up since Election Day. On Nov. 5, nearly all precincts had reported, and he had 49.1% to Wilson&#39;s 29.2% . By Monday, Nov. 9, he had 49.9% after about 25,000 more ballots were counted, for a total of just over 245,000 .</p> <p>He was left as the only Democrat on the ballot after former state Sen. Tom Begich, who placed second in the primary with about 21%, withdrew to avoid splitting the vote . Kreiss-Tomkins had about 23% in the 17-candidate primary .</p> <blockquote><p>feel cautiously optimistic we&#39;re on track to do that.</p><p>&mdash; Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, Democratic candidate for governor, Alaska</p></blockquote> <p>As of the Nov. 10 report, Wilson had not conceded, and Kreiss-Tomkins had not claimed victory. His campaign projected he would win a majority of first-choice votes once all ballots were counted .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Tens of thousands of ballots were still to be tallied as of the Nov. 10 report . The new governor is expected to be sworn in on Dec. 7 .</p> <p>Ballot Measure 2 would have repealed the state&#39;s election system. It was on track to fail, with 52.6% voting against it .</p> <p>That matters because a first-round majority would end any argument over how ranked-choice ballots were tallied. The caution is that only a final count settles it. Kreiss-Tomkins&#39;s margin over 50% is thin, and counting is not finished .</p> <p>Kreiss-Tomkins has said his priorities include K-12 school funding, teacher and public employee retirement, and the cost of living .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/kreiss-tomkins-tops-50-in-alaska-governor-count-which-would-avoid-a-ranked-choice">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/kreiss-tomkins-tops-50-in-alaska-governor-count-which-would-avoid-a-ranked-choice.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Newsweek, “Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins Makes Alaska Governor Race Breakthrough” (2026-11-13). newsweek.com/democrat-jonathan-kreiss-tomkins-makes-alaska-g
2. Anchorage Daily News, “Kreiss-Tomkins grows his lead in Alaska governor's race” (2026-11-10). adn.com/politics/2026/11/09/kreiss-tomkins-grows-his-lead-in
3. Alaska Public Media, “Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins reflects on lead in Alaska governor's race” (2026-11-05). alaskapublic.org/news/politics/elections/2026-11-05/democrat

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