New Delhi, Nov. 14 -- Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has won Alaska's governor's race, becoming the first Democrat elected to the office since 1998 and putting the party on course to regain the governorship after 24 years.

The Associated Press called the race for the 37-year-old former state representative from Sitka. He will succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy and be sworn in December 7 as Alaska's 13th governor.

First-choice majority puts Democrat ahead

Kreiss-Tomkins held 50.8% of first-choice votes counted as of Friday, according to the Anchorage Daily News. Republican Bernadette Wilson had 28.1%, former Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson had 13.6%, and former state Attorney General Treg Taylor had 7.2%.

Those figures a...