JKT’s 500-mile ride-along with commercial trucker highlights commitment to responsible energy development, building the gasline, and maintaining infrastructure
October 31, 2026
Over Thursday and Friday, Alaska governor candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (JKT) completed a ride-along with a commercial truck driver from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, stopping in Coldfoot and Wiseman on his latest trip beyond the Railbelt.
JKT made the trip to hear directly from the residents and workers who depend on the 414-mile Dalton Highway, known to many Alaskans as the Haul Road. Along the way, he learned about road conditions and maintenance, freight costs that drive up prices across the state, and the future of jobs and industry on the North Slope, including the Alaska LNG project.
Lieutenant governor candidate Zac Johnson also completed a 520-mile swing from Fairbanks through the Interior communities of Delta Junction, Tok, and Glennallen. Along the way, Johnson visited with Interior residents and discussed improving public safety, infrastructure, and access to medical care beyond the Railbelt.
The trips continue the JKT-Johnson ticket’s travel to parts of Alaska often overlooked by statewide candidates. Earlier in October, JKT visited the North Slope community of Utqiagvik to participate in the fall bowhead whale harvest and traveled the Kuskokwim River by skiff from Bethel to Tuluksak. In July, he traveled 450 miles down the Yukon River from Galena to St. Mary’s, visiting 11 villages. In the spring, he snowmachined 350 miles across the Northwest Arctic Borough, stopping in five villages between Huslia and Kotzebue.
All told, JKT has logged over 40,000 miles of in-state travel since launching his campaign — a distance approaching twice the circumference of the earth. He has visited all 19 boroughs and every community with 2,000 or more residents, in addition to dozens of smaller communities.
“The Haul Road is Alaska’s ‘road to the bank’ and a lifeline for Alaska’s economy,” said Kreiss-Tomkins. “For the people who drive it every week, conversations about Alaska’s infrastructure are conversations about their livelihoods and their safety. I’m grateful to see firsthand what’s at stake for these trucking professionals who keep Alaska’s economy going.”
“Alaska is large and diverse, and JKT and I believe meeting Alaskans where they are, answering their questions, and hearing their concerns is essential for any administration,” said Johnson.
The Haul Road ride-along and the swing through the Eastern Interior underscore the tireless energy and fresh approach that JKT and Johnson bring to the governor’s race.
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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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