Palin, Sarah Heath (1964-…), was the Republican nominee for vice president of the United States in 2008. Palin and Arizona Senator John McCain, the presidential nominee, lost to their Democratic opponents, Senators Barack Obama of Illinois and Joe Biden of Delaware. Palin served as Alaska’s first woman governor from 2006 to 2009. She had earlier served as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a city on the outskirts of Anchorage.
Palin’s selection as McCain’s running mate made her the first woman ever to be the Republican Party’s vice presidential nominee. She also was only the second woman chosen as a vice presidential candidate by a major American political party. Geraldine A. Ferraro, a Democratic U.S. representative from New York, had been Walter F. Mondale’s running mate in 1984.
Early life and family.
Sarah Louise Heath was born on Feb. 11, 1964, in Sandpoint, Idaho. Her parents moved the family to Alaska when Sarah was an infant. In high school, she was a cross-country runner and a co-captain of the 1982 state championship basketball team. She earned the nickname “Sarah Barracuda” for her spirited defensive play on the court.
In 1984, Sarah was named Miss Wasilla and participated in the Miss Alaska pageant. In 1987, she completed a bachelor’s degree in journalism at the University of Idaho. She later worked as a television sports reporter in Anchorage. In 1988, she married Todd Palin, who held jobs in the oil and fishing industries and also raced snowmobiles. The couple, who divorced in 2020, had five children: sons Track and Trig; and daughters Willow, Bristol, and Piper.
Career.
In 1992, when Sarah Palin was 28, she won election to the City Council of Wasilla. She was reelected in 1995. In 1996, she was elected Wasilla’s mayor. She won reelection in 1999. In 2002, Palin ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor. She chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from 2003 to early 2004.
In 2006, Palin defeated incumbent Governor Frank Murkowski for the Republican nomination for governor. She won the general election in November and took office the following month. In late August 2008, McCain asked Palin to be his running mate. During the campaign, Palin promoted domestic oil production and became known as a vocal opponent of gun control and abortion. She faced criticism that she lacked the experience, especially in the area of foreign affairs, to be vice president.
In July 2009, Palin surprised many political experts when she resigned as governor with more than a year remaining in her term. She said that the time and expense she spent defending herself from ethics complaints had distracted her from her duties as governor. Alaska’s lieutenant governor, Sean Parnell, assumed her position as governor.
Following her resignation, Palin worked as a news commentator, television personality, and public speaker. She has also written a number of books. They include Going Rogue: An American Life (2009); America By Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag (2010); Good Tidings and Great Joy: Protecting the Heart of Christmas (2013); and Sweet Freedom: A Devotional (2015). In 2014 and 2015, Palin contributed to the Sarah Palin Channel, a video news website.
In April 2022, Palin announced that she was seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Alaska’s lone House seat had been left vacant by the death of Representative Don Young in March. Democrat Mary Peltola defeated Palin in the special election that August to fill Young’s seat. Later in 2022, Peltola defeated Palin again in a November election for a full two-year term in the House.
