FAIRBANKS BOROUGH AND CITY MAYORS HOPKINS AND O’NEALL ENDORSE KREISS-TOMKINS FOR GOVERNOR
Interior leaders back JKT to lower energy costs, support schools, and govern for all of Alaska
September 29, 2026
Today, Alaska governor candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (JKT) and lieutenant governor running mate Zac Johnson announced endorsements from Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Grier Hopkins and Fairbanks City Mayor Mindy O’Neall.
Grier Hopkins was born and raised in Fairbanks and grew up in Goldstream. He was elected Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor in 2024 after representing an Interior district in the Alaska House of Representatives from 2019 to 2023. Mindy O’Neall was elected Fairbanks mayor in 2025 after serving six years on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly. She previously worked as the Executive Director of the Cold Climate Housing Research Center and a union representative for Laborers Local 942.
Mayor Hopkins and Mayor O’Neall’s endorsements signal growing enthusiasm in Fairbanks and the Interior for JKT and Johnson’s cross-partisan campaign to get Alaska back on track.
“Fairbanks is at an inflection point, and I want to make sure the Interior is at the table as Alaska makes big decisions about our future,” said Mayor Hopkins. “Jonathan has visited over 15 times as a candidate , listened to what matters to Fairbanksans, and understands that the Interior needs to see the benefits of the investments Alaska makes.”
“Fairbanks needs a governor who understands that strong communities are built from the ground up,” said Mayor O’Neall. “Jonathan understands that local leaders need a real partner in Juneau as we work to build more housing, lower costs, invest in infrastructure, and make Fairbanks a place where people can build a life and a future.”
JKT thanked Hopkins and O’Neall for their endorsements and their years of public service.
“Mindy O’Neall and Grier Hopkins have devoted their careers to solving problems and growing the economy in Fairbanks and the Interior. I’m grateful for their support,” said Kreiss-Tomkins. “Alaska needs real change — not more of the same politics we’ve seen the last eight years. We’re running to work with Mayor O’Neall and Mayor Hopkins to bring down energy costs, build the LNG line and ensure it includes a Fairbanks spur, support our schools, grow jobs in the Interior, and make Fairbanks a place where Alaskans can build a future.”
Mayor Hopkins and Mayor O’Neall’s endorsements add to a growing cross-partisan coalition, including the Alaska AFL-CIO, Western States Carpenters Union, Anchorage Police Department Employees Association PAC, Teamsters Local 959, UA Local 367, IBEW Local 1547, IUPAT Local 1959, Alaska Professional Fire Fighters Association, NEA-Alaska, Alaska State Employees Association/AFSCME Local 52 PAC, Alaska Public Employees Association/American Federation of Teachers, and SEIU 775; over 50 Alaska Native leaders; over 40 commercial fisheries leaders; the commercial fishermen’s organizations Kodiak Seiners Association, Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, and Cordova District Fishermen United; former Gov. Tony Knowles; former Senate President Rick Halford; and over 60 elected Republicans, Democrats, and independents from Ketchikan to Kotzebue who are backing JKT’s vision to get Alaska back on track.
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About Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (JKT), born and raised in Sitka, represented Southeast Alaska’s island communities for 10 years in the State House. He first won election at age 23 after leaving college without a degree to launch a grassroots campaign, traveling by ferry and floatplane to knock on nearly every door across Southeast Alaska, defeating an established incumbent by 32 votes.
A member of the Bipartisan Coalition in the House, he worked across the aisle to support Alaska schools, protect our fisheries, invest in infrastructure, fight corruption and protect the Permanent Fund. After a decade in the legislature, Kreiss-Tomkins retired in 2023, and spent two years working for a national nonprofit on science and technology policy on Capitol Hill, as well as working on campaigns across Alaska and the country.
Since leaving the legislature, he's seen what all Alaskans have witnessed: a distracted state government that is failing to solve Alaska’s big problems. Prices keep rising. Basic infrastructure is neglected. Schools struggle or close.
Alaska needs new energy and new leadership. JKT is running for governor to support our schools, bring down costs, and give families a reason to stay — so that the next generation will also call Alaska home.
To learn more, visit jktforak.com.
About Zac Johnson
Zac Johnson was born in Anchorage and spent his early years in a dry cabin his parents built along Turnagain Arm. In 2000, at age 19, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps as an infantryman. He served two deployments, including during the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
In 2006, Zac returned to Alaska and enrolled at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He volunteered as a firefighter and EMT with the Girdwood Fire Department before joining the Alaska State Troopers in 2013. As a state pilot and trooper with the Fairbanks-based Rural Unit, he worked missions from Dillingham to Arctic Village, and nearly every community in between. He later became a Tactical Flight Officer flying remote search and rescues, fishery patrols, and drug busts with federal law enforcement.
In 2023, Zac won election to the Anchorage Assembly as an independent. He has served as a strong advocate for public safety and responsible government. Today, Zac lives in South Anchorage with his wife, Liz, and continues to lead with Alaskan values of compassion, community, and hard work.
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