JKT COMPLETES 450-MILE JOURNEY DOWN YUKON RIVER, RELEASES FOUR-PART VIDEO SERIES HIGHLIGHTING CHALLENGES IN RURAL ALASKA
Visits 11 villages in 4 days, highlighting commitment to campaign in and govern for all of Alaska
July 20, 2026
Democratic candidate for Alaska governor Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (JKT), who recently completed a four-day, 450-mile campaign swing down the Yukon River by boat, today released four videos sharing the stories of Alaskans on the Middle and Lower Yukon River. JKT’s journey began in the Interior community of Galena and ended in the village of St. Mary’s in the Yukon River Delta.
JKT visited eleven Yukon River villages in total: Galena, Koyukuk, Nulato, Kaltag, Grayling, Anvik, Holy Cross, Russian Mission, Marshall, Pilot Station, and St. Mary’s. Most of the villages have not been visited by a candidate for governor in recent memory. JKT heard from rural Alaskans who contend with skyrocketing costs ($20/gallon milk, $12/gallon gas), minimal or nonexistent law enforcement, substandard infrastructure, and threats to subsistence fishing and hunting, including the devastated Yukon Chinook and chum salmon runs.
The trip underscores JKT’s deep commitment to rural Alaska. On the Yukon, he spent time with elders, village leaders, and community members discussing the critical issues facing the Yukon River basin today, especially the decline in salmon stocks driven by offshore trawl bycatch and warming waters, and the increasing costs of groceries, fuel, and everyday living in rural Alaska. This year is the first in two years when Yukon River villages have been allowed by the state of Alaska to fish chum salmon for subsistence.
The Yukon River video series is available on Youtube, Instagram, and Facebook:
Day 1: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Day 2: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Day 3: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Day 4: Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
“Vast swaths of Alaska are so often overlooked, and a huge focus of our campaign is giving rural Alaska a strong voice in Juneau,” said Kreiss-Tomkins. “That means getting out to communities and spending time in villages. People on the Yukon have shouldered too much pain from dwindling salmon runs and skyrocketing costs. I want to share a heartfelt thank you to everyone we met for their incredible generosity.”
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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 protect public education, reduce trawl bycatch and protect our fisheries, invest in infrastructure, revitalize Alaska Native languages, and protect the Permanent Fund from overspending. 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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