Kreiss-Tomkins Backs Arctic Oil and Gas Expansion
The Alaska governor's candidate supports ConocoPhillips' Willow project and Santos' Pikka project on state and federal land.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Oil and Gas
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Should Alaska expand oil and gas development on the North Slope?
Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, who currently leads Alaska's governor's race, stated support for a broad expansion of oil and gas development in the state's Arctic region. He specifically backed ConocoPhillips-Alaska's Willow project on federal land on the North Slope and Santos Ltd.'s Pikka project on Alaska state land.
Why it matters
A Kreiss-Tomkins win would flip the governor's office, which has been held by Republicans or Independents since 2002, to Democratic control. His stance places energy development at the center of the state's governor's race.
The governor's office has been under Republican or Independent control since 2002, so a Kreiss-Tomkins victory would mark a Democratic breakthrough. The statement does not include production volumes or investment totals for the Willow or Pikka projects.
The players
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins is a Democrat who currently leads the race for Alaska's governorship.
ConocoPhillips-Alaska
ConocoPhillips-Alaska is the Alaskan subsidiary of ConocoPhillips, the large independent oil and gas company operating the Willow project on federal land on the North Slope.
Santos Ltd.
Santos Ltd. is an Australian oil and gas producer developing the Pikka project on Alaska state land.
The details
Kreiss-Tomkins made the statement at a Wednesday event, backing both federal-land and state-land oil and gas work on Alaska's North Slope and in the wider Arctic region. The source does not describe the candidate's specific regulatory or permitting proposals.
Timeline
November 11, 2026: Kreiss-Tomkins publicly states support for Arctic oil and gas expansion.
Roadmap
Kreiss-Tomkins's support extends the Willow approval on the North Slope into a wider push for Arctic oil and gas development. The position signals that Alaska's energy expansion now includes both federal and state-land projects as a campaign issue.
Alaska residents weighing the governor's race will see energy development emerge as a key policy difference between candidates. Voters' views on North Slope drilling could influence the outcome of the election.
The takeaway
Energy policy is becoming a defining issue in Alaska's governor's race, with the candidates' positions on Arctic drilling likely to shape how voters judge them. Readers tracking the state's energy future should watch how each campaign addresses federal and state-land projects.
Further reading
Explore more on Oil and Gas developments shaping Alaska's energy future and its political debates.
Live Poll
Should Alaska expand oil and gas development on the North Slope?
