TEAMSTERS LOCAL 959 ENDORSES KREISS-TOMKINS FOR GOVERNOR
Tenth labor endorsement highlights JKT’s support for working Alaskans
September 17, 2026
Today, Democratic candidate for Alaska governor Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (JKT) and lieutenant governor running mate Zac Johnson announced the sole endorsement of Teamsters Local 959.
Teamsters Local 959 is one of Alaska's largest labor unions, serving over 5,000 members and their families, including truck drivers, nurses, telecommunications workers, and oil-field employees. Chartered in 1941, the union has played a crucial role in major infrastructure and energy projects in Alaska.
Teamsters Local 959 is the tenth Alaskan labor organization to endorse JKT.
“Jonathan held a picket sign and walked with striking Teamsters in sub-zero temperatures during the school bus worker strike — the only gubernatorial candidate to do so,” said Teamsters Local 959 Political Coordinator Patrick Fitzgerald. “Zac Johnson, Jonathan’s running mate, has been a strong labor ally on the Anchorage Assembly, fighting for Teamsters working for the municipality.”
“We’re proud to stand with the hardworking men and women of Teamsters Local 959,” said Kreiss-Tomkins. “Zac and I are committed to lowering everyday costs, investing in infrastructure, and getting Alaska back on track.”
“We’re honored to earn Teamsters Local 959’s endorsement as JKT and I get to work to lower the cost of living and bring commonsense leadership back to Juneau,” said Johnson, a graduate of the Alaska AFL-CIO’s Arthur A. Almon Labor Candidate School and former member of the Public Safety Employees Association.
JKT’s growing cross-partisan coalition also includes the Alaska AFL-CIO, 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 fishermens’ 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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