Will Tom Begich finish first in Alaska's Aug 18 top-four primary for governor?

Alaska held its top-four, all-party primary for governor on August 18, 2026. Preliminary and near-final results reported by Alaska Beacon, Alaska Public Media and the Anchorage Daily News showed Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins leading the field with about 21.6% of the vote, followed by fellow Democrat Tom Begich with roughly 20% (about 26,377 votes), placing Begich second rather than first. Republican candidates identified in coverage as Wilson and Bronson rounded out the top four who advanced to the November general election, which will be decided by ranked-choice voting among the four finishers. Begich did not lead the field at any point in the counted returns cited by these outlets. The result continues a crowded-field dynamic reporters had flagged in the run-up to the primary, in which multiple candidates struggled to separate themselves from one another in a large field. The question asked whether Begich would finish first; he finished second, behind Kreiss-Tomkins. Two-thirds of community votes (67%) predicted Begich would come in first, a call that did not match the certified early outcome.