Sarah Palin

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Sarah Palin
11th Governor of Alaska
Incumbent
Assumed office December 4, 2006
Lieutenant(s)	Sean Parnell
Preceded by	Frank Murkowski
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	February 11 1964 (age 43) Sandpoint, Idaho
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Todd Palin
Profession	Journalist
Religion	Non-denominational Protestant

Sarah Heath Palin (born February 11, 1964) is the current Governor of Alaska. She is the youngest governor in Alaskan history (forty-two years old upon taking office), as well as the first woman to hold the office. In addition to being Alaska's youngest governor, Palin is also the first who was born after Alaska achieved statehood. She is also the first Alaska governor to not be inaugurated in Juneau, instead choosing to hold her inaguration ceremony in Fairbanks. She took office on Monday, December 4, 2006. Her Lieutenant Governor is Sean Parnell. Palin is the former mayor of Wasilla, Alaska.

1 Experience
2 Politics and issues
3 Electoral history
- 3.1 Election results
4 Personal
5 Trivia
6 References
7 External links

Palin's education includes a degree in journalism from the University of Idaho. She briefly worked in the media and utility industry.

She served two terms on the Wasilla City Council and became a two-term mayor and manager of Wasilla, one of Alaska's fastest growing communities. She was also elected President of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.

In 2002, Palin made a failed bid to become the state's lieutenant governor, coming in second place behind Loren Leman in a four-way race due to her inability to raise campaign contributions equal to that of her opponent. After Frank Murkowski became governor, resigning from his long-time U.S. Senate seat, Palin was considered by some to be a candidate for the job, however Murkowski appointed his daughter, then State Representative Lisa Murkowski.

Governor Murkowski did appoint Palin to serve as a commissioner on the state's Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which she served on during 2003-2004, but later resigned, in protest over what she perceived to be the "lack of ethics" of fellow Alaskan Republican leaders. This included the state party's chairman, Randy Ruedrich, a fellow commissioner, who was accused of doing work for the party on public time and providing a sensitive email to a lobbyist. She filed formal complaints against both Ruedrich and former state Attorney General Gregg Renkes, who was eventually found not guilty.

She served an elected term on the Valley Hospital board. In 2006, Palin won the Republican primary for Governor, defeating then-Gov. Frank Murkowski; she went on to win the general election in November 2006, defeating former Gov. Tony Knowles.

Despite being considered a maverick by many for filing accusations of some top Alaska Republican officials for ethical violations, Palin's political credentials remain intact as a populist.

Recently, she joined efforts to promote an "all-Alaska" natural gas pipeline, which would have been built by a political subdivision of the State. Palin describes an all-Alaska pipeline as the only proposal which brings the maximum benifit to the people, and later softened her stand by claiming she is not opposed to the alternative of running the pipeline through Canada, to the Lower 48, if doing so represents the best deal for Alaska. She also supports rotating legislative sessions, at least on occasion, out of the state capital, Juneau, and re-establishing the distribution of state wealth — municipal revenue sharing — to help local governments, and other assorted entitlement programs which has left many conservatives questioning her fiscal political orientation.

Palin says that education, public safety, and transportation will be three focuses of her administration. She is strongly pro-life, opposes same-sex marriage, and has gay friends [1]. While the earlier administration did not implement same-sex benefits, Palin followed the Supreme Court order and signed them into law. [2]. She supports a democratic advisory vote from the public on whether there should be a constitutional amendment on the matter [3]. Alaska was one of the first states to pass a constitutional ban on gay marriage, in 1998, along with Hawaii [4]. Her first veto was used on legislation to bar the state from granting benefits to gay state employees and their partner, after consultation with her attorney general [5].

In the first days of her administration, Palin followed through on a campaign promise to try to sell the Westwind II jet purchased by the past administration, on state credit [6]. There would be a considerable monetary loss on the jet if sold for the going price on Ebay. Since the election the state has put up the jet on Ebay 3 times.

Shortly after becoming governor, Palin cancelled an eleven-mile gravel road outside of Juneau to a mine[7]. She also rescinded the appointment of former chief of staff, Jim Clark, to the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority. Both of these acts reversed actions in the closing days or hours of the prior Administration. [8].

2006 Gubernatorial Election, Alaska
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Sarah Palin	114,697	48.33	-7.6
	Democratic	Tony Knowles	97,238	40.97	+0.3
	Independent	Andrew Halcro	22,443	9.46	n/a
	Alaskan Independence	Don Wright	1,285	0.54	-0.4
	Libertarian	Billy Toien	682	0.29	-0.2
	Green	David Massie	593	0.25	-1.0
	Write-ins		384	0.16	+0.1
Majority			17,459	7.36
Turnout			238,307	51.1
	Republican hold		Swing

Alaska Republican Gubernatorial Primary Election, 2006
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Sarah Palin	51,443	50.59	n/a
	Republican	John Binkley	30,349	29.84	n/a
	Republican	Frank Murkowski, Incumbent	19,412	19.09	n/a
	Republican	Merica Hlatcu	211	0.21	n/a
	Republican	Gerald Heikes	280	0.28	n/a
Majority			21,094	20.75	n/a
Turnout			101,695	n/a	n/a
	Republican hold		Swing

2002 race for Lieutenant Governor (primary)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Loren Leman	21,076	29%	n/a
	Republican	Sarah Palin	19,114	27%	n/a
	Republican	Robin Taylor	16,053	22%	n/a
	Republican	Gail Phillips	13,804	19%	n/a
	Republican	Paul Wieler	1,777	2%	n/a

^[1]

Palin's husband, Todd, works on the North Slope and is a commercial fisherman. She also has four children: Bristol, Piper, Track, and Willow.

Prior to political life, Palin competed in the Miss Alaska contest after being chosen Miss Wasilla 1984. In the Wasilla contest, she played the flute and also won the title of Miss Congeniality.

In the past, Palin was named one of Alaska's "Top 40 Under 40," Alaska's Public Works "Person of the Year," and was recently inducted into the Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society at Alaska Pacific University. She is also a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.

A photo of Palin, #22, playing high school basketball, the year her team won the state championship.

In 1984, Palin was a beauty queen, when she was Miss Wasilla. [9]

She eats moose burgers and rides snowmachines. [10]

Palin was the point guard for the Wasilla High School Warriors when they won the state small schoolbasketball championship in 1982. [11]

She admits that, when marijuana was legal in the state, she used it; however, she didn't like it. [12]

After she became governor, the nationally read and irreverent political blog, Wonkette, began covering Palin, often focusing on her physical attractiveness. [13]

^ Alaska Division of Elections, 2002 results

Alaska Office of Governor Sarah Palin official state site
National Governors Association - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin biography
Follow the Money - Sarah Palin 2006 campaign contributions
Follow the Money - Sarah H Palin and Sean R Parnell 2006 campaign contributions
On the Issues - Sarah Palin issue positions and quotes
Project Vote Smart - Governor Sarah H. Palin (AK) profile
Palin for Governor official campaign site

Articles

Sarah Smile Anchorage Press, August 2006 cover story
Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski ousted in a humiliating defeat to Sarah Palin Alaska Report, August 24, 2006

Preceded by Frank Murkowski	Governor of Alaska 2006 - present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Outside Alaska: Janet Napolitano; Inside Alaska, Dick and Lynn Cheney	United States order of precedence as of 2007	Succeeded by Outside Alaska: Linda Lingle Inside Alaska: Local mayor; next fixed is Nancy Pelosi

Governors of Alaska
District: Kinkead • Swineford • Knapp • Sheakley • Brady • Hoggatt • Clark Territorial: Clark • Strong • Riggs • Bone • Parks • Troy • Gruening • Heintzleman • Hendrickson • Stepovich • Hendrickson State: Egan • Hickel • Miller • Egan • Hammond • Sheffield • Cowper • Hickel • Knowles • Murkowski • Palin