Alaska’s lone Democratic candidate for governor, Jonathan Kreiss‑Tomkins, is confronting growing unease among moderate Democrats after campaign finance filings revealed that his campaign paid several consulting firms that also serviced the 2025 New York City mayoral campaign of socialist Zohran Mamdani.
Consulting payments raise questions
According to records filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission, Kreiss‑Tomkins’ campaign disbursed $165,725 to Debra Schommer Media Group and listed an additional $93,050 in debt to the firm. The campaign also reported $193,524 in payments to C Plus K, LLC, with Fight Agency identified as a subcontractor. The Anchorage Daily News confirmed that the candidate spent nearly $600,000 on advertising, some of which was produced by Fight Agency.
Debra Schommer Media Group, based in California, was a primary vendor for Mamdani’s campaign, which paid the firm more than $3 million for television, production, and digital advertising during the 2025 cycle. New York City Campaign Finance Board disclosures corroborate those large payments.
Fight Agency’s role
Fight Agency, launched after the 2024 election by Julian Mulvey, Rebecca Katz, and Tommy McDonald, gained notoriety for crafting Mamdani’s unconventional ad strategy focused on affordability and direct engagement with New Yorkers. Fight strategist Morris Katz later assisted Graham Platner, a progressive Senate candidate in Maine, and Kreiss‑Tomkins also hired Slingshot Strategies, a Brooklyn firm that consulted for Platner, further linking the consultant network.
While the financing records do not prove a direct ideological link between Kreiss‑Tomkins and Mamdani, they do document that the Alaska campaign relied on firms that have worked for a candidate widely described as a socialist, prompting some voters to question Kreiss‑Tomkins’ own political stance.
Impact on Democratic support
Moderate Democrats, many of whom previously supported former Senator Mark Begich, have expressed wariness. A trusted source told Must Read Alaska that these voters “literally said they were going to sit this one out” because of the perceived connection to Mamdani.
Kreiss‑Tomkins maintains that his campaign will focus on reaching moderate Republicans disillusioned with the former Governor Dunleavy era, but the emerging skepticism among centrist Democrats could complicate his effort to build a broad coalition.
Candidate background
Kreiss‑Tomkins, a lifelong Alaskan, served in the Alaska House representing Sitka‑area districts from 2013 to 2023. His platform emphasizes affordability, education, and strengthening Alaska’s economy.
The campaign’s consultant choices have become a focal point in the 2026 gubernatorial race, underscoring how campaign‑finance transparency can influence voter perception in a tightly contested election.
Original reporting: Must Read Alaska (Anchorage) — read the source article.
