Tom Begich, a singer-songwriter and former state lawmaker with a rich family legacy in state politics, has finished in the top four in the 17-person primary for Alaska governor and will make the runoff in November, The Associated Press said.
Another Democrat, Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, also secured one of the four spots in the general election.
Campaigning on a promise to make Alaska more affordable and find new ways to fund public education, Mr. Begich capitalized on his family’s name recognition, endorsements from some of the state’s leading progressive groups and a condensed Democratic field.
Mr. Begich’s father, Nick Begich Sr., served in the U.S. House as a Democrat. His brother, Mark Begich, was a Democratic U.S. senator. And his Republican nephew, Nick Begich III, is the state’s current member of the U.S. House.
“I love my state, I know what it means to serve this state, and I don’t see us on the right path right now,” Mr. Begich, 65, said in an interview last month. “I think I’m the only one in this race who both understands the challenges facing us and has a plan to solve them.”
He and the three other top finishers will compete in a November election that will use ranked-choice voting. Alaskans are selecting a successor to Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a conservative Republican who is barred from seeking a third term.
Alaskans have backed President Trump in the last three presidential races, but unaffiliated voters outnumber both Republicans and Democrats, and the Legislature has been governed for nearly a decade by a coalition of Democrats, Republicans and independents.
