Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state representative from the small island community of Sitka, won the race for Alaska governor, according to a race call by the Associated Press. At 37, he’ll be the youngest governor in state history.
Kreiss-Tomkins will replace outgoing Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a term-limited Republican who has been governor since 2018. The state’s last Democratic governor was Tony Knowles, who left office in 2002.
Kreiss-Tomkins, known by his initials JKT, made his “high-energy, bipartisan, problem-solving approach” a centerpiece of his campaign.
He’s said he plans to build an administration of Democrats, Republicans and independents and described himself at a debate as a “man of the middle.” He was endorsed by three former governors — a Democrat, a Republican and an independent — along with Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
Alaskans have had enough of zero-sum partisan politics, he said in an interview just before voting at a precinct in Anchorage on Election Day.
“I strongly believe people just want things to work, and want people to work together,” Kreiss-Tomkins said.
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The AP race call came after over a week of counting votes, including those coming in by mail and from remote parts of the state. In the ranked-choice system the state uses, he faced three Republican candidates, including one backed by President Trump. Winning requires getting a majority of the votes.
Voters were also facing a question on the ballot about whether to scrap that unique, ranked-choice system. That proposal failed, according to another AP race call, keeping the system in place.
With Kreiss-Tomkins’ win and others in the midterms, Democrats will hold 30 governors’ offices across the country, up from 24 now.
Kreiss-Tomkins will take office in a state where voters have loudly complained that things aren’t working as they should.
Rising costs and relatively flat state funding have forced schools to close and class sizes to rise. Already-high costs for food, fuel and housing have risen sharply, and a looming shortage of easily accessible natural gas near the state’s population centers is threatening to push prices higher. And Alaskans have been migrating out of the state for more than a decade.
The Republicans in the race were Trump-backed business owner Bernadette Wilson, former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson and former Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor.
Kreiss-Tomkins is set to take office at noon Dec. 7.

Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state representative from the small island community of Sitka, won the race for Alaska governor, according to a race call by the Associated Press.
At 37, he’ll be the youngest governor in state history.
Kreiss-Tomkins will replace outgoing Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a term-limited Republican who has been governor since 2018. The state’s last Democratic governor was Tony Knowles, who left office in 2002.
Kreiss-Tomkins, known by his initials JKT, made his “high-energy, bipartisan, problem-solving approach” a centerpiece of his campaign.
He’s said he plans to build an administration of Democrats, Republicans and independents and described himself at a debate as a “man of the middle.” He was endorsed by three former governors — a Democrat, a Republican and an independent — along with Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
“Alaskans want change,” Kreiss-Tomkins said in an interview Friday. “They want (a) bipartisan problem-solving approach in their elected officials, and that’s what they’re going to get with me as governor.”
Kreiss-Tomkins is on track to win more than 50% of the first-choice vote, meaning the race would not be determined by ranked choice tabulation. The results remain unofficial until they’re certified; election officials plan to do so Nov. 25.
The AP race call came after 10 days of counting votes, including those coming in by mail and from remote parts of the state. In the ranked-choice system the state uses, he faced three Republican candidates, including one, business owner Bernadette Wilson, backed by President Trump.
Wilson acknowledged her loss in a phone interview with the Alaska Beacon Friday morning. She told the Beacon that despite deep disagreements on the best way forward for the state, she was glad someone born in the state had been elected to lead it. Neither Wilson nor her campaign has not responded to calls, texts or emails from Alaska Public Media since Election Day.
Another Republican in the race, Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson, congratulated Kreiss-Tomkins on social media Friday.
“Alaskans have made their choice, and I respect their decision,” he said.
With Kreiss-Tomkins’ win and others in the midterms, Democrats will hold 30 governors’ offices across the country, up from 24 now.
Kreiss-Tomkins will take office in a state where voters have loudly complained that things aren’t working as they should.
Rising costs and relatively flat state funding have forced schools to close and class sizes to rise. Already-high costs for food, fuel and housing have risen sharply, and a looming shortage of easily accessible natural gas near the state’s population centers is threatening to push prices higher. And Alaskans have been migrating out of the state for more than a decade.
Plans to focus on ‘making government work’
Kreiss-Tomkins has offered glimpses of what his administration will bring in interviews and speeches since Election Day.
Speaking to the Resource Development Development Council in Anchorage on Wednesday, Kreiss-Tomkins listed his first priority as solving nuts-and-bolts problems — what he called “unsexy and non-glamorous” issues like wait times for state permits and government benefits like Medicaid. He said he hoped to “cultivate a culture of constant improvement in state government.”
“I really want to focus on making government work … making sure the basic processes and services that government is responsible for, that industry and others rely on, is working in the best possible way,” he said.
Kreiss-Tomkins has yet to announce any possible appointees to his administration, but hinted Wednesday that he might keep some Dunleavy administration commissioners. In an interview Friday, he declined to give specifics and said he expected to start naming appointees next week.
“It was probably pretty clear with our campaign what areas we felt Alaska needed to go in a different direction from the Dunleavy administration, and I think in those areas, correspondingly, you know, we will have new leadership,” he said.
The next governor is set to take office amid a war-driven boom in oil prices that could leave the state budget with a surplus in the hundreds of millions of dollars. An updated revenue forecast is due out next month.
Even so, Kreiss-Tomkins said he expects to propose a “moderate” Permanent Fund dividend and exercise what he described as “responsibility and restraint.”
Alaska’s dependence on oil revenue lends itself to a feast-or-famine dynamic, he said.
“I know what the famine cycle looks like because that basically described all 10 years I happened to be in the Legislature,” he said. “But I have seen the history of what the feast cycle looks like, and I really don’t want the pendulum to swing too hard the other direction.”
In that vein, Kreiss-Tomkins said he’s planning to pursue an amendment to the state Constitution to place stricter limits on how much the state can withdraw from the Permanent Fund each year. And he said he wants to deposit some of the coming year’s possible surplus into the state’s rainy-day fund.
But as Kreiss-Tomkins said numerous times on the campaign trail, there’s one area where he says he would like to see more spending: education.
“I think the state does need to make a course correction in terms of the degree we invest in public education,” he said.
Democrats won big nationwide on Election Day. Kreiss-Tomkins is set to take office with a friendly Legislature with both houses controlled by Democrat-heavy coalitions.
Even so, Kreiss-Tomkins said he’s still planning to look for ways to work together with Alaskans across the ideological spectrum.
“If we run from one extreme to the other, I think if you zoom out and you look at the big picture, much less gets accomplished, and sometimes you actually move backwards,” he said.
Kreiss-Tomkins will take the oath of office at noon Dec. 7.

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World Diabetes Day 2026: Diabetes can develop silently for years: Why one simple health check could help detect the risk early and prevent future complications
World Diabetes Day 2026: Diabetes can develop silently for years: Why one simple health check could help detect the risk early and prevent future complications
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Diabetes can stay hidden for years: Why one health check could change your health journey
A person can feel perfectly healthy and still have high blood sugar. There may be no unusual thirst, frequent trips to the bathroom or sudden change in weight. Life continues as usual, while blood sugar levels may be rising quietly in the background. This is what makes Type 2 diabetes particularly concerning. Its early stages often pass without noticeable symptoms, leaving many people unaware that they need medical attention.
As World Diabetes Day is observed on November 14, the importance of early detection deserves attention. A simple health check can uncover raised blood sugar levels, identify prediabetes and help people make changes before diabetes develops or complications begin. According to Dr Vikram Vora, Medical Director, Indian Subcontinent, International SOS, early detection is particularly important because Type 2 diabetes can progress silently. The focus, therefore, should be on recognising the risk before symptoms appear.
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The diabetes numbers make early testing important
Diabetes is no longer a concern limited to older adults. It affects people across age groups and has become a major public health challenge. An estimated 589 million adults worldwide live with diabetes, and this number could reach 853 million by 2050. More than 252 million adults are also estimated to be living with undiagnosed diabetes.
India faces a particularly serious challenge. Nearly 101 million adults have diabetes, while another 136 million have prediabetes. These figures highlight a problem that often goes unnoticed: many people may not know their blood sugar levels are outside the healthy range.
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Why Type 2 diabetes can go unnoticed
Not all diabetes develops in the same way. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, while gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for more than 90% of cases, often develops gradually.
Its warning signs include excessive thirst, frequent urination, increased hunger, unexplained weight loss, fatigue and blurred vision. Some people may also experience numbness in their hands or feet, slow-healing wounds and recurring infections.
However, these symptoms may not appear during the early stages. That is why waiting until something feels wrong is not a reliable way to identify diabetes.
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One blood test can reveal what symptoms cannot
A health check does not have to be complicated. Doctors commonly use three tests to assess blood sugar levels:
Fasting blood glucose: Measures blood sugar after at least eight hours without food.
HbA1c: Shows average blood sugar levels over the previous two to three months.
Oral glucose tolerance test: Checks how the body processes sugar after consuming a glucose drink.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines for Type 2 diabetes recommend screening adults above 30 years, with earlier testing for people with risk factors.
Family history, abdominal obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, PCOS and previous gestational diabetes can increase the risk.
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Prediabetes is a warning, not a final verdict
Prediabetes is often the stage when timely intervention can make a meaningful difference. Blood sugar levels are higher than normal but have not reached the range for diabetes.
This is an opportunity to act rather than panic. Regular physical activity, weight management and a fibre-rich diet can help reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity every week as part of diabetes prevention. Its diabetes prevention guidance also highlights the importance of sustainable lifestyle changes.
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Prevention should not stop at the doctor’s clinic
Dr Vora also highlights the role workplaces can play in reducing diabetes risk. Long sitting hours, limited physical activity and unhealthy food choices can make working environments unfavourable for metabolic health.
Employers can support prevention through regular health screenings, risk assessments, nutritional counselling, healthier food options and workplace fitness programmes.
For people already diagnosed, regular monitoring, timely medical care and taking prescribed medicines consistently are equally important. As Dr Vora emphasised, early detection should be a priority for both individuals and organisations.
As Dr Vora put it, “It starts with a single health check, and one proactive step today can make a meaningful difference tomorrow.”
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The federal government on Friday announced a six-month delay in enforcing a Medicaid work requirement — a central provision in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” that experts said would lead millions of Americans to lose health coverage.
The requirement still technically starts on Jan. 1, but under new guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, states that choose not to enforce it won’t be held accountable until at least July 1.
The move is a striking turn for an administration that has spent months defending the policy against criticism from state officials and healthcare advocates who warned that the rollout was moving too quickly and that people who should be eligible for Medicaid would lose coverage because of the additional red tape and paperwork.
CMS called the six-month window a “hold harmless” period, and the delay is optional. States that choose to take advantage of this period will still start checking on Jan. 1 whether Medicaid enrollees are working, volunteering or in school or whether they qualify for an exemption. But until July, no one in those states will lose coverage for failing to meet the requirements.
“States have made real progress, and they’ve been clear with us about what it takes to get this right for beneficiaries — at scale and for the long term,” said Dan Brillman, who oversees Medicaid at CMS.
The White House declined to comment.
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How Democrats intend to deliver on their big campaign promises
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Some states have already moved forward with implementing the work requirements. In Nebraska, which launched the work requirements May 1, over 1,000 people have lost coverage or been denied benefits because of the new rules, according to state figures through August.
The Medicaid work requirement was a cornerstone of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” a massive tax and spending package that overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy through tax breaks while slashing the social safety net for vulnerable Americans. Millions of Americans are expected to lose health coverage and food assistance as a result of the law, the signature domestic legislation of Trump’s second term.
The law requires many able-bodied adults under the age of 65 to prove they work, volunteer or attend school at least 80 hours a month to keep Medicaid, which provides health coverage for low-income and disabled Americans. The Trump administration argues the requirement and other provisions in the law encourage work, reduce waste and protect government benefit programs for those who need them.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the work requirements alone would leave 5.3 million more people uninsured by 2034 and would save the federal government $317 billion, part of nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts in the law.
Pressure on the administration to delay the requirement had been building for months. Five Democratic governors last month asked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to postpone the implementation, saying that state agencies weren’t ready. And a federal judge last month blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a portion of the requirement related to medically frail people, saying it could lead some to wrongly lose coverage.
The delay comes a little more than a week after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress on a promise to reverse the GOP’s cuts to healthcare and food assistance.

Sen.-elect Scott Colom (D-Miss.) pushed back on the idea that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) personally recruited him to run for Senate, saying the people of Mississippi deserve the credit for his upset victory.
“He did initially understand that our party has to look south for future leadership,” Colom told MS NOW’s Symone Sanders Townsend in an interview that aired Thursday. “I think that it’s not accurate to say he recruited me, though.”
“I push back on the idea that I was recruited, not as a disrespect to anybody, but just as an acknowledgement that the people of Mississippi are the folks that deserve the credit,” he added.
The Senate Democratic leader was part of a strong performance in the midterm elections. Democrats not only won back the chamber but did so with seats to spare.
Schumer recounted in an interview with The New York Times how he recruited Democratic candidates across the battleground races to ensure his party would be best positioned to reclaim the upper chamber. In the story, the Times said Schumer recruited Colom.
But Schumer now faces a challenge from inside his caucus for his position as Democratic leader, with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) announcing Thursday evening he would seek the role.
Though the interview was conducted before Van Hollen announced his challenge, Colom did not commit to supporting Schumer, saying, “I got to know my options.”
“I’m looking for a person that’s going to be committed to Mississippi and rural voices,” Colom told Sanders Townsend. “If you’re able to listen to those voices and make sure that you understand their needs and putting them in position to be successful, then that’s the type of leadership I want.”
Colom beat Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) in an upset victory that took more than a week after the election to call. Mississippi is a deep-red state that President Trump won by nearly 23 points in 2024, and voters there have not elected a Democrat for U.S. Senate since 1982.
The senator-elect and the incumbent have history: Former President Biden nominated Colom to be a federal judge, but Hyde-Smith used her ability as his home-state senator to block him from receiving a confirmation hearing. Years later, Colom has defeated Hyde-Smith but said that past experience was not a factor in deciding to challenge her for U.S. Senate.
“I’m a Christian. I mean, I forgive her,” Colom said. “It’s not good for the soul to hold, you know, anger and feelings like that toward somebody.”
Colom said he spoke to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), who will soon be his partner in the Senate, and that the two pledged to work together and disagree respectfully.
“He said, ‘If we disagree, we’re going to be respectful about it.’ And you know, we may not agree on everything, but when we disagree, we’ll be respectful,” Colom said. “We’re not a state that can get too bogged down in partisan food fights. We have to be a state that’s focused on delivering for Mississippi.”