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Democrat

Tom Begich

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Democrat

Tom Begich

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Alaska Governor winner? (Person)

$167.2K

NOV 7, 2026

General Election

Voters choose the office holder.

Overview

Current roleState Senator

PartyDemocratic

Political ideologyModerate Democrat

Age65 years old (Oct 30, 1960)

GenderMale

LocationAlaska

BackgroundPolitician

EducationBard College — B.A. in History (1982)

Notable personal detailsTom Begich is an Alaska politician, musician, and consultant who served as a Democratic member of the Alaska Senate representing District J (Anchorage) from 2017 to 2022 and was Senate Minority Leader from 2019 to 2023. He is a candidate for Governor of Alaska in the 2026 election cycle. Begich earned a B.A. in History from Bard College and has done graduate work at the University of Alaska Anchorage and Oxford. He is married to Sarah Sledge.

SourcesShow

akleg.gov elections.alaska.gov en.wikipedia.org alaskapublic.org fm.kuac.org tombegich.com tombegichforalaska.com kdll.org commons.wikimedia.org kmxt.org thealaskastory.com northern.org dnr.alaska.gov static1.squarespace.com congress.gov bhfs.com adn.com ktoo.org trackbill.com juneauindependent.com csgwest.org justfacts.votesmart.org kdlg.org kbbi.org factcheck.org amgoa.org alaskabeacon.com begich.house.gov alaskasnewssource.com change.org deltadiscovery.com facebook.com plannedparenthoodaction.org news.ballotpedia.org wonderwall.com krbd.org the-downballot.com predictionedge.com instagram.com x.com ballotready.org history.house.gov docs.house.gov govinfo.gov fec.gov docquery.fec.gov

Positions

LiberalConservative

Economy & Taxes

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.

Healthcare

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.

Abortion & Reproductive Rights

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.

Climate & Energy

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.

Public Safety & Guns

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.

News

AINews Summary

Last updatedJul 15, 2026

Tom Begich is in the news as a Democratic candidate in Alaska’s crowded 2026 governor’s race. He recently picked former Biden administration official Julia Hnilicka as his running mate, which he needed to stay in the race under Alaska’s filing rules. Begich has also been promoting 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 early primary field, though the race is still expected to be competitive.

akleg.gov+45

Articles

ADAnchorage Daily News2 months ago

Tom Begich picks former Biden official Julia Hnilicka as running mate in Alaska governor’s race

Neutral

ADAnchorage Daily News2 months ago

Opinion: Alaskans pay global prices and get little in return. Here’s how to fix it.

Neutral

NNewsweek2 months ago

Republicans’ Chances of Losing Alaska Governor and Senate Races-Polls

Positive

ADAnchorage Daily News5 months ago

Candidates pour their own money into Alaska governor’s race

Neutral

Polls

Alaska Governor winner? (Person)

Polling Average

40%30%20%10%0%

29.3%

21.0%

20.1%

15.8%

13.9%

T. Begich

N. Dahlstrom

B. Wilson

D. Bronson

C. Bishop

A. Crum

T. Taylor

E. DeVries

Date (Start - End)	Spread	Begich	Dahlstrom	Wilson	Bronson	Bishop	Crum	Taylor	DeVries
Polling Average	Begich+8.3	29.3%	21.0%	20.1%	15.8%	13.9%	4.8%	3.3%	2.5%
Alaska Survey ResearchApr 16 - 19	Begich+19.2	41.0%	–	21.8%	18.6%	18.7%	–	–	–
Alaska Survey ResearchApr 16 - 19	Begich+13.0	43.9%	–	30.9%	–	25.2%	–	–	–
Alaska Survey ResearchApr 16 - 19	Begich+7.8	53.9%	–	46.1%	–	–	–	–	–
Lake Research PartnersFeb 5 - 11	Begich+22.0	38.0%	–	16.0%	13.0%	8.0%	–	–	–
Alaska Survey ResearchOct 10 - 14	Begich+21.3	41.4%	19.3%	19.2%	–	20.1%	–	–	–
Alaska Survey ResearchOct 10 - 14	Begich+13.6	43.7%	30.1%	–	–	26.2%	–	–	–
Alaska Survey ResearchOct 10 - 14	Begich+1.2	50.6%	49.4%	–	–	–	–	–	–
Data for ProgressJul 21 - 27	Dahlstrom+5.0	8.0%	13.0%	13.0%	–	8.0%	5.0%	3.0%	3.0%
Data for ProgressJul 21 - 27	Wilson+5.0	6.0%	10.0%	11.0%	–	6.0%	4.0%	3.0%	2.0%
Data for ProgressJul 21 - 27	Wilson+6.0	8.0%	14.0%	14.0%	–	8.0%	5.0%	4.0%	–
Data for ProgressJul 21 - 27	Dahlstrom+7.0	8.0%	15.0%	14.0%	–	9.0%	5.0%	–	–
Data for ProgressJul 21 - 27	Dahlstrom+8.0	9.0%	17.0%	15.0%	–	10.0%	–	–	–