$135.8K
NOV 7, 2026
General Election
Voters choose the office holder.
Current roleFormer State Senator
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyModerate Democrat
Age65 years old (Oct 31, 1960)
GenderMale
LocationAlaska
BackgroundPolitician
EducationBard College — B.A. in History (1982)
Notable personal detailsThomas Scott Begich is an American politician, musician, and consultant who served as a Democratic member of the Alaska State Senate (District J) from 2017 to 2023 and as Senate Minority Leader from 2019 to 2023. He is a lifelong Alaskan from Anchorage and a graduate of Bard College. In August 2025, he announced a run for governor in Alaska’s 2026 election. He is married to singer-songwriter Sarah Sledge.
Supports using Permanent Fund earnings with a long-term draw (around 4%) and allocating a portion of those earnings to both dividends and public education; emphasizes common-sense fiscal planning and protecting education funding rather than large one-time payouts that could deplete the fund. Opposed ad-hoc energy relief payments when they would reduce funds for forward-funding education.
Tom Begich says Alaska cannot absorb major federal Medicaid funding losses and emphasizes making health care more affordable through measures such as negotiating with insurers and exploring self‑insurance rather than expanding state coverage. His public materials highlight pragmatic, state-level cost-containment and access measures rather than support for large federal expansions or single‑payer reforms.
Tom Begich answered the 2020 Political Courage Test identifying as "pro-choice" while also indicating he would not legalize abortion when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape, showing a qualified or internally inconsistent stance. Legislative hearing record excerpts show Begich engaging on limits and medical duties in abortion-related legislation. Available public records show no single unambiguous position on unrestricted abortion access or on codifying Roe-era protections.
Supports expanding renewable and alternative energy, investments in community-scale and cold-climate technologies, and adaptation measures for Alaska’s warming Arctic while also endorsing continued use of Alaska’s oil and gas resources as part of a reliable, affordable energy mix.
Tom Begich has sponsored and cosponsored legislation to create or expand gun-violence protective orders (extreme-risk/red-flag style measures) in the Alaska Legislature, indicating support for targeted firearm restrictions to improve public safety while serving as a state senator.
Fresh Alaska reporting confirms Begich has named Julia Hnilicka, making him the first Democratic gubernatorial candidate in the race to lock in a lieutenant governor pick and giving his ticket a clearer structure ahead of the June 1 filing deadline.
Tom Begich is in the news for his Alaska governor’s race campaign, where he recently picked former Biden administration official Julia Hnilicka as his running mate to stay on the ballot. He has also been outlining an energy-tax plan that would change oil taxes, end some oil and gas tax credits, and create a Department of Energy. A recent poll showed him leading the crowded early primary field, though the race is still expected to be competitive.
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
