UAW REGION 6 & LOCAL 1907 (ALASKA GRADUATE WORKERS ASSOCIATION) ENDORSE KREISS-TOMKINS FOR GOVERNOR
Sole endorsement recognizes JKT’s platform to lower housing costs support public education
October 10, 2026
Today, Alaska governor candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (JKT) and lieutenant governor running mate Zac Johnson announced the sole endorsement of UAW Region 6 and UAW Local 1907, the Alaska Graduate Workers Association (UAW 1907).
UAW represents more than 400 graduate student employees and over 2,300 staff in the University of Alaska system spanning the state from Kodiak to Fairbanks and Juneau to Bethel.
JKT has made supporting Alaska’s public education system a central part of his platform.
"UAW members across Alaska are excited to support a gubernatorial candidate who has a plan to stabilize and grow the Alaskan economy, including supporting and investing in higher education and its workers,” said Kyra Bornong, UAW 1907 President. “Alaska is long overdue for investments in growing jobs, increasing educational opportunities, and tackling affordability, and JKT is the candidate to make real progress on these issues for working people."
“We’re proud to stand with students and staff and earn UAW 1907’s endorsement,” said Kreiss-Tomkins. “Our campaign is about getting Alaska back on track and ending the Dunleavy era of disregard for education. That starts with lowering everyday costs, supporting a robust public education system at all levels, and growing opportunities for young Alaskans to build their lives in the state we love.”
JKT’s growing cross-partisan coalition also includes the Alaska AFL-CIO, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302, Western States Carpenters Union, Public Safety Employees Association Local 803, Anchorage Police Department Employees Association PAC, Alaska Professional Fire Fighters Association, Teamsters Local 959, UA Local 367, IBEW Local 1547, IUPAT Local 1959, Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific, 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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