PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION ENDORSES KREISS-TOMKINS FOR GOVERNOR
Third public safety employees’ organization to endorse JKT and Johnson
October 5, 2026
Today, Democratic candidate for Alaska governor Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (JKT) and lieutenant governor running mate Zac Johnson announced the sole endorsement of the Public Safety Employees Association, Local 803 (PSEA).
PSEA represents Alaska's public safety professionals in the Department of Public Safety, Airport Police and Fire, and Municipal Police Departments. PSEA members include Alaska State Troopers and Wildlife Troopers, court services officers, airport police and fire officers, Deputy Fire Marshals, and municipal police officers across the state.
JKT and Johnson are the only ticket in the governor’s race with professional experience in public safety. Johnson was a PSEA member during his eight years of service in the Alaska State Troopers. He began his career in the Troopers’ Patrol Unit, stationed in Fairbanks, before becoming a State Pilot and joining the Special Emergency Response Team. Later, as a Tactical Flight Officer based in Anchorage, he flew remote search and rescues, fishery patrols, and drug busts with federal partners.
PSEA President Lander Simmers and Interim Executive Director Scott Carson released the following statement:
JKT has a record of working across party lines to get things done, and he has committed to bringing that same approach to working with the people who keep Alaska’s communities safe.
Jonathan's running mate for Lieutenant Governor, Zac Johnson, is a former Alaska State Trooper and was a PSEA member for eight years. As an Anchorage Assembly Member, Zac has been a consistent advocate for the Anchorage Police Department, sponsoring a $2.85 million budget amendment for police wages and benefits in 2024. Together, they bring firsthand law enforcement experience to the ticket.
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has shown the leadership, integrity, and willingness to work across party lines that Alaska needs. PSEA looks forward to working with his administration, and Alaska would benefit greatly should he be elected Governor.
“We are honored to earn the support of PSEA, and I am incredibly proud to be running alongside a former member in Zac,” said Kreiss-Tomkins. “Alaska’s men and women in law enforcement work tirelessly to keep our communities safe. We need a governor who will support law enforcement and safer communities, work across the aisle to restore a decent pension for public servants, and lower costs so all working Alaskans can afford to stay here.”
“I’m proud of my eight years as an Alaska law enforcement officer,” said Johnson. “It is difficult to appreciate the dedication and sacrifice their work demands until you’ve lived it. JKT and I believe the people who keep us safe deserve not just our respect, but our commitment to protecting their quality of life.”
PSEA is the third public safety employees’ organization to endorse JKT and Johnson, joining the Anchorage Police Department Employees Association PAC and Alaska Professional Fire Fighters Association. JKT and Johnson are the only governor ticket who have announced endorsements from Alaskan law enforcement and first responders’ organizations.
JKT’s growing cross-partisan coalition also includes the Alaska AFL-CIO, Western States Carpenters Union, Teamsters Local 959, UA Local 367, IBEW Local 1547, IUPAT Local 1959, 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 (R); former State Senator Lesil McGuire (R); 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 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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