JKT Wants Alaska’s Future to Feel Investable

by pedro graterol

Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins runs for governor on fiscal reform, diversification
​and a vision of Alaska where families can invest their future.

Former state legislator Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a Sitka Democrat widely known as JKT, is running for governor, becoming the 16th candidate and third Democrat to enter this year’s race. Kreiss-Tomkins served in the Alaska House of Representatives between 2013 and 2023. With Gov. Mike Dunleavy term-limited and unable to seek a third term, the election will unfold under Alaska’s top four primary system, with ranked-choice voting in November.

Kreiss-Tomkins says he is running because Alaska faces serious challenges and he wants to help solve them. “I’d like to see an Alaska where young families feel like they can invest their future here,” he said in an interview. “Where schools feel strong and stable. Where working families can afford to live here. And where the economy feels grounded in the future.”

He argues that too many young people are choosing to leave the state. “That’s a real tragedy,” he said. “It’s a very negative sign, and one we need to reverse.” At the center of his platform is Alaska’s structural deficit in a state closely tied to oil revenue. His first priority is the $85 billion Permanent Fund. “The most important step is fully and constitutionally protecting the Permanent Fund,” he said, describing it as “a major source of fiscal risk” that requires a constitutional amendment.

He also proposes changes to corporate taxation. “We need to bring fairness to the corporate income tax code and ensure that Hilcorp pays corporate income tax,” he said. “It’s simply a matter of fairness.” Beyond those measures, he acknowledged that “additional revenues and potentially modest cuts will still be required. It’s a math problem.”

On diversification, Kreiss-Tomkins points to sectors already showing momentum: mariculture in coastal communities, expanding winter tourism beyond the traditional summer season, and the logistics cluster anchored by Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, now one of the busiest cargo hubs in the world. “The governor and state government should respond to where success is already happening and put gas on the fire,” he said.

He supports a natural gas pipeline if it proves economically viable. “If the state is being asked to make commitments or concessions, much more information needs to be presented,” he said. Kreiss-Tomkins also emphasizes representation and bipartisan governance. He envisions a cabinet that could be “one-third Democrat, one-third independent, and one-third Republican.” Winning his first race by 32 votes, he said, instilled humility: “You work for the people. It’s about the people you represent.”
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He frames his campaign as generational renewal. “There’s an argument that the time has come for a new generation of political leadership in the state,” he said. “We’re building a high-energy, grassroots campaign.” ​