By Tony Knowles

When Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins first announced his bid for governor, it was a breath of fresh air. He reminded me of the times when Alaskans joined together to make things happen, help each other thrive and build strong resilient communities with purpose and promise. It’s time to restore that Alaska can-do spirit. JKT’s boundless energy, innovation, and enthusiasm for problem solving will revitalize Alaska.

Over a decade of public service in the legislature, JKT built a reputation for integrity, humility, bipartisanship and putting Alaska ahead of special interests. Now, he’s running a high-energy campaign to be Alaska’s first Democratic governor since I left office in 2002. I know what it takes to win in this state. And I’m looking forward to voting for JKT on Aug. 18. 

From the start, JKT’s campaign has been all about meeting Alaskans in their own communities. In just six months of campaigning, JKT has visited every borough in Alaska (19 in all), as well as logged a 300-mile Arctic snowmachine campaign trip and a 450-mile trip down the Yukon River, visiting 11 villages along the way. He’s logged over 25,000 miles of in-state travel this year alone — a little more than the circumference of the Earth.

In 180 days, JKT has earned the most donations from Alaskans (over 1,700 donors, or nearly 10 new Alaska donors a day) of any gubernatorial campaign this year and the most endorsements from current and former elected officials. He has an impressive list of commercial fishing and Alaska Native leaders who are also supporting his campaign.

Those who know JKT are impressed but not surprised. In his 10 years in the House, Jonathan flipped a Republican-held district, and won five elections with the support of independent and moderate Republican voters, even as his swingy district voted for Donald Trump. He knows how to talk to all Alaskans — not just Democrats — and how to build a coalition as broad and diverse as our state. That’s what it’s going to take for a Democrat to win in November, and JKT has it.

Lately, JKT has gotten questions about a handful of donors who work in the artificial intelligence space and have contributed to his campaign. Here’s why: JKT has worked to advance AI regulation nationally and, through that work, earned the support of some of the leading AI regulation advocates and AI safety experts in the country who are now supporting his campaign.

Just as I do, they want to see elected leaders like JKT who understand the risks posed by AI and who can rein in the industry and impose safeguards and regulation. This is why JKT is calling for Alaska to follow other states’ lead by regulating AI, and this is also why JKT is the first governor’s candidate in the field to call for a development moratorium on data centers in Alaska.

Whether you want to protect the public by regulating AI and data centers, support our public schools with full and forward funding, reduce trawl bycatch, build more renewable energy, protect reproductive rights, see a renaissance of trails, parks and cabins investment across our state, or make Alaska affordable to start a family and grow old in your own community, then JKT is your candidate for governor.

I hope you’ll join me in supporting him on Aug. 18.

Tony Knowles is a former Alaska governor.