Note: The Folly interviews candidates who visit Seward

July 2, 2026, by Seward Folly Staff

After eight years of gridlock and public frustration, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, or JKT, an avid runner, is also running for governor. The Southeast Alaska representative has a clear vision of what good governance involves: problem-solving and a willingness to work across divides.

“I love problem solving, and I believe in working with anyone who wants to get things done in good faith, regardless of their party or where they’re from,” JKT says.

That attitude, he argues, is a sharp turn from the combative approach that’s dominated Governor Dunleavy’s office in recent years.

Education is central to JKT’s vision. Born and raised in Sitka, Tomkins started the Outer Coast, a two-year, liberal arts undergraduate program. The school is based on three pillars: academics, service & labor, and self-governance.  

JKT sees the state’s public school system as under siege: “It’s undermining a core public institution at its very foundation.” Alaska’s constitution, JKT notes, requires the state to provide an adequate education to all children — and the courts have twice ordered the state to step up. “We don’t have a choice,” he says. “The Constitution requires it.”

JKT is candid about the challenges facing rural schools, including the difficulty of finding teachers who are rooted in local communities.

“It’s a very reasonable aspiration that, in most sectors of our society and economy, you want to be able to grow your own,” he says.

He also addresses the state’s energy future — one of the thorniest issues in Alaska. JKT supports the natural gas pipeline, but only with rigorous oversight: “A project developer owes the state basic information about the project,” he says. “I think the legislature has done a good job asking questions and representing Alaska’s best interests.”

He’s blunt about the failures of the state’s main utilities, especially along the railbelt: “The utility co-ops failed their members by failing to diversify. This was foreseen, and nothing was done about it.”

As governor, JKT says, he’s willing to exercise political leadership to force overdue changes — including breaking down the “fiefdoms” between utilities and pushing for renewable energy.

“We should be making energy independence a high priority,” he insists, pointing to Bradley Lake as a model: “It’s the single cheapest source of energy on the entire railbelt, and it wouldn’t have happened without the state playing a leadership role.”

Housing is another crisis he’s determined to address. JKT points out that the state owns unused land in the heart of communities and argues that it should be made available for housing development. He’s also frustrated by what he calls “murky regulation” around more affordable housing options like modular or manufactured homes. He believes they are often stigmatized by society, but have been an important source of low-income housing for people.

“We’ve allowed that source of housing to slowly disappear,” he says. “When you make it harder to build housing, you create scarcity — and scarcity drives up prices.”

He wants the state to be a positive partner for cities and municipalities, helping cut through regulatory barriers and expand supply.

On childcare, JKT draws a direct line between red tape and the shortage of providers.

“Death by a thousand pieces of paperwork has prevented people from opening new childcare nonprofits and businesses across Alaska,” he says. He recounts the story of a friend who spent two years navigating the system just to open a childcare facility. “It’s a critical service that any community needs to function,” he says. “If you make it really hard to open a childcare facility, you drive scarcity and scarcity drives price.”

JKT describes himself as someone who’s earned the trust of voters across political lines.

“I ran against and defeated a Republican incumbent. I represented a district that voted for Donald Trump for ten years, and as a Democratic legislator, I ran ahead of the Democratic presidential candidate by as much as 23 percentage points in one election,” he says. “I have a proven record of being able to win the support of independent and moderate Republican voters, which is the only way you can win statewide as a Democrat.”

When asked why he’s stayed in Alaska and kept fighting, JKT’s answer is simple: “Alaska is unique and special. I have friends here, and family here, and a future here. The state has immense potential, and I’m a part of a generation that wants to make a future in this state. We’re closer than it might seem to some really big wins that can secure Alaska’s future. I’m very motivated to be a part of that.”

Note: Meet and Greet for JKT — 3 – 4 pm on Friday, July 3 at Paperman’s