With just over two weeks left in the race to be Alaska’s next governor, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins made a stop in Sitka over Alaska Day weekend. The Democrat was the only gubernatorial candidate to participate in Sunday’s parade, marking 159 years of statehood (10-18-26).
Kreiss-Tomkins’ visit comes shortly after President Donald Trump endorsed Republican candidate Bernadette Wilson at his recent rally in Wasilla. He said he wasn’t surprised.
“Far be it for me to be sort of an expert on MAGA politics, but I think [Wilson’s] base was already kind of that further right MAGA constituency, and I’m sure Trump’s endorsement consolidated that in some way,” he said.
Kreiss-Tomkins said he thinks Trump’s backing won’t change the race too much.
“He’s got a net unfavorability with Alaskans, and so when you have a political figure who, broadly, people don’t like that much endorsing somebody, I think from our perspective, it doesn’t hurt,” he said. “And in kind of an ironic way, it might even help.”
Trump also said at his rally that the increased costs of fuel and food are worth it for the war in Iran. Kreiss-Tomkins said high per-barrel prices are good news for the state budget, but Alaskans trying to make ends meet would disagree with the president’s statement.
Kreiss-Tomkins said when the war ends and oil prices drop Alaska will face a gaping budget deficit.
“Ultimately, I don’t think Alaska’s long-term fiscal strategy can be counting on wars in the Middle East to balance our budget. That’s an insane way to plan our future,” he said.
Kreiss-Tomkins said he wants to create a budget that won’t depend on the price of oil. He said that Alaska can continue to get by without an income tax for now, but it’s a different question when thinking about a long-term state budget.
