Democrats aim to unite behind one candidate in Alaska governor's race

Democrat Tom Begich has withdrawn from Alaska’s governor's race and is supporting the first-place finisher, fellow Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins

JUNEAU, Alaska -- Democrat Tom Begich has withdrawn from Alaska's governor's race, throwing his support behind fellow Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins for a seat the party hopes to flip in November.

Begich finished just behind Kreiss-Tomkins in a crowded Aug. 18 primary that included 12 Republicans and some independents. Under Alaska's election system , the top four finishers, regardless of party, advance to the ranked vote general election in November.

Monday was the final day for candidates to withdraw from the ballot. Begich's decision leaves Kreiss-Tomkins as the only Democrat on the ballot, giving the party what it sees as a strong opportunity to elect Alaska's first Democratic governor in nearly 25 years.

Begich's campaign late Friday released a statement saying he and running mate Julia Hnilicka were suspending their campaign and endorsing Kreiss-Tomkins, who had finished with the most votes during the primary. The statement said the Begich campaign had raised more than $1.3 million but continuing would require millions more.

It also said that after reviewing internal data and data provided by Kreiss-Tomkins' campaign, Begich and Hnilicka concluded “that the strongest path to victory is to bring Democratic voters, donors and resources together behind one candidate.”

“Rather than competing over visions that share so much in common, we are choosing to put our strength behind a shared vision for Alaska," Begich said.

Those priorities include full and stable funding for public education, addressing housing, health care and energy costs, and ensuring that Alaska receives a “fair share” from the development of its oil and gas resources. That generally means support of raising taxes on those industries.

Kreiss-Tomkins in a statement told Begich supporters he would make it his campaign's mission to earn their backing and champion those priorities.

“To hell with political infighting," he said. “Let’s build a future made in Alaska.”

The Alaska Democratic Party said state Democrats are in “lockstep” and intend to win. The last Democrat to serve as governor in Alaska was Tony Knowles, who served consecutive terms from 1994 to 2002.

The highest-finishing Republicans in the primary were Bernadette Wilson, a conservative activist and business owner, and Dave Bronson, a former mayor of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. The Wilson and Bronson campaigns did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Monday, nor did the chair of the state Republican Party.

Treg Taylor, a former state attorney general, finished fifth in the vote tally. But Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, a fellow Republican, decertified his candidacy Monday after the state's campaign finance commission recommended that step. The commission found that Taylor did not “substantially comply” with financial disclosure requirements.