Who is Alaska Governor Sarah Palin?
A Brief Bio on Republican John McCain's Presidential Running Mate
Aug 30, 2008
On Friday, August 29, 2008, United States Presidential hopeful, Republican John McCain gave a nod to Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who was picked to be his running mate in the election that will be decided by the voters on November 4, 2008.
As McCain and Palin start down the campaign trail together, many Americans found it surprising that this relative political newcomer was picked over experienced political powerhouses like former Massachusetts Governor and former White House hopefull Mitt Romney. Many Americans were left scratching their heads, wondering, "Who is Sarah Palin?"
In the hours following McCain's announcement that Palin will be his running mate, the first information that was discussed on news networks, on radio talk shows and in internet chatrooms was Palin's conservative political track record, her pro-life stance and her pride in her status as a lifelong National Rifle Association member. As a first-term governor of the nation's least-populus state, another prime topic of discussion was her relative lack of experience in the arena of national politics, which notably, has been a continual point of critique when it comes to McCain's opponent, Barack Obama.
Curious Americans will find some of the following biographical information and more on the Vice Presidential candidate's biographical page on the State of Alaska's official website.
- Sarah Louise Heath Palin was born on February 11, 1964, making her 44-years-old on this, her first bid for the White House.
- Palin graduated from Wasilla High School in Alaska in 1982. She then went on to attend the University of Idaho, where she received a bachelor of science degree in the field of communications and journalism in 1987.
- The Vice Presidential candidate is married to Todd Palin, a commercial Alaska fisherman. According to the State of Alaska's website, Palin's husband is a lifelong Alaska resident who is "a production operator on the North Slope and a four-time champion of the Iron Dog, the world's longest snowmachine race."
- Sarah Palin is a mother of five children, the oldest who will soon head overseas with the military; the youngest being a four-month-old boy with Down Syndrome.
- Palin started her political career as a small-town city council member. She then continued on to serve two terms as the mayor/manager of the small City of Wasilla, with a population of less than 10,000.
- On December 4, 2006, started her term as the eleventh governor for the State of Alaska. Palin is the first female and the youngest person to ever hold the position.
- According to the State of Alaska's website, "During her first legislative session, Governor Palin’s administration passed two major pieces of legislation – an overhaul of the state’s ethics laws and a competitive process to construct a gas pipeline."
- During her political career, Palin has served as the chairwoman of the Alaska Conservation Commission and as the president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.
- Palin is a "lifelong member" of the National Rifle Association and an avid hunter, fisher, marathon runner and outdoors enthusiast.
- Palin is pro-life. She is also mindful of excess and waste. When she took up the top position in Alaska's government, Palin found she had access to a private jet, which she subsequently put up for auction on eBay. She also re-assigned her cook to a different position; she reportedly prefers to cook for her family herself.
- McCain's running mate is described as an active, involved mother. She's been called a "sports mom" and she's also volunteered at her childrens' schools.
To learn more about the Republican ticket and Presidential hopeful John McCain, his running mate, Governor Sarah Palin, and their bid to win the top office over Barack Obama and his running mate, Joe Biden, visit the official McCain campaign website.
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