Sarah Palin
Governor Sarah Palin
11th Governor of Alaska
Incumbent
Assumed office  December 4, 2006
Lieutenant	Sean Parnell
Preceded by	Frank Murkowski
Born	February 11 1964 ( 1964-02-11) (age 44) Sandpoint, Idaho
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Todd Palin
Profession	Journalist
Religion	Protestant

Sarah Heath Palin (née Sarah Louise Heath, born February 11, 1964 in Sandpoint, Idaho) is the current Governor of Alaska. She is the youngest governor in Alaskan history (42 years old upon taking office), as well as the first woman to hold the office in the state. In addition to being Alaska's first female governor, and its youngest, Palin is also the first who was born after Alaska achieved statehood. She is also the first Alaska governor not to be inaugurated in Juneau, instead choosing to hold her inauguration ceremony in Fairbanks. She took office on December 4, 2006. Her Lieutenant Governor is Sean Parnell. Palin is the former mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. As Governor, she has maintained uncommonly high approval ratings throughout her tenure.

Personal

Palin was the point guard for the Wasilla High School Warriors when they won the state small school basketball championship in 1982.^[1] In 1984, Palin competed in the Miss Alaska contest after being chosen Miss Wasilla that year.^[2] In the Wasilla contest, she played the flute and also won the title of Miss Congeniality.

Details of Palin's personal life have contributed to her political image. She eats moose burgers and rides snowmobiles.^[3] She admits that she used marijuana when it was legal in the state, but says that she did not like it.^[4]

Palin holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Idaho. She briefly worked in the media and utility industry.^{citation needed}

Palin is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. Her husband, Todd, works for BP at an oil field on the North Slope^[5] and is a commercial fisherman.^{citation needed} On September 11, 2007, the Palins' son Track joined the Army. Age 18 at the time, he is the eldest of her five children.^[6] She also has three daughters, Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 7.^[7] On April 18, 2008, Palin gave birth to her second son, Trig Paxson Van Palin, who has Down syndrome.^[8] The Palin family lives in Wasilla, about 40 miles north of Anchorage.^[6]

Pre-gubernatorial political experience

Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council from 1992 to 1996 and became a two-term mayor and manager of Wasilla, one of Alaska's fastest-growing communities. She was in office from 1996 to 2002.^[9] Palin was also elected President of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.^[7]

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. After Frank Murkowski became governor, resigning from his long-time U.S. Senate seat, Palin was considered by some to be a candidate for that job.^{citation needed} However, Murkowski appointed his daughter, then-State Representative Lisa Murkowski.

Governor Frank Murkowski appointed Palin as Ethics Commissioner on the state's Oil and Gas Conservation Commission^[10] where she served from 2003 to 2004, later resigning in protest over what she perceived to be the "lack of ethics" of fellow Alaskan Republican leaders.^{citation needed} Her criticism 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.^[11] Palin filed formal complaints against both Ruedrich and former state Attorney General Gregg Renkes, who was eventually found not guilty. Palin also served an elected term on the Valley Hospital board.^{citation needed}

Governorship

Governor Palin with Alaska's At-large U.S. Representative Don Young

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 Governor Tony Knowles. Palin said in 2006 that education, public safety, and transportation would be three focuses of her administration.^[4]

She supports holding occasional legislative sessions outside the state capital, and municipal revenue sharing to help local governments.^{citation needed}

Energy policies

Shortly after taking office, Palin rescinded the appointment of former chief of staff Jim Clark to the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority, reversing an appointment made in the closing days or hours of the prior Administration. ^[12] He has since pleaded guilty to conspiring with a defunct oil-field services company to channel money into Frank Murkowski's re-election campaign. ^[13]

In April 2007, Palin announced plans to create a new sub-cabinet to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within Alaska. ^[14]

In March 2007, Palin presented the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) as the new legal vehicle for building a natural gas pipeline from the state's North Slope.^[15] Only one legislator, Representative Ralph Samuels, voted against the measure,^[16] and in June Palin signed it into law.^[17][18] On January 5, 2008, Palin announced that a Canadian Company, Transcanada Corp, was the sole AGIA-compliant applicant.^[19][20]

In response to high oil and gas prices, and also in response to the resulting state government budget surplus, Palin proposed giving Alaskans $100-a-month energy debit cards, and also proposed providing grants to electric utilities so that they will reduce their rates for customers.^[21] She subsequently dropped the debit card proposal, and in its place she has proposed to instead send the citizens $100 directly.^[22]

Gay rights and abortion

Palin is strongly pro-life and belongs to Feminists for Life.^[4] She opposes same-sex marriage, but stated that she has gay friends and is receptive to gay and lesbian concerns about discrimination.^[23] While the previous administration did not implement same-sex benefits, Palin followed an Alaska Supreme Court order and signed them into law. ^[24]

She supported a democratic advisory vote from the public on whether there should be a constitutional amendment on the matter.^[25] Alaska was one of the first states to pass a constitutional ban on gay marriage, in 1998, along with Hawaii.^[26]

Palin's first veto was used on legislation that would have barred the state from granting benefits to gay state employees and their partners. In effect, her veto granted State benefits to same-sex couples. The veto occurred after Palin consulted with her attorney general on the constitutionality of the legislation.^[27]

Matanuska Maid Dairy controversy

Matanuska Maid Dairy was a state-owned business. When the State Dairy Board recommended closing the unprofitable business, Palin fired the board and appointed long-time Mat-Su Borough associates to run the board, including influential real estate businesswoman Kristan Cole.^[28] The new board quickly approved raising the price of milk offered by the dairy, in a vain attempt to control fiscal losses, despite the fact that milk from Washington was already offered in Alaska stores for less than Matanuska Maid milk.^[29] In the end, the dairy was forced to close, and the state tried to sell the assets to pay off its debts, but no bids were received.^[30][31]

Budget

In the first days of her administration, Palin followed through on a campaign promise to sell the Westwind II jet purchased by the past administration, on state credit. The state put up the jet on eBay three times. In August 2007, the jet was sold.^[32]

Shortly after becoming governor, Palin canceled an 11-mile gravel road outside of Juneau to a mine, reversing a decision made in the closing days or hours of the Murkowski Administration. ^[33]

In June 2007, Palin signed into law the largest operating budget in the state's history, $6.6 billion.^[34] At the same time, she used her veto power to make the second largest cuts of the construction budget in the state history. The $237 million in cuts represented over 300 local projects and reduced the construction budget to nearly $1.6 billion.^[35]

Commissioner firing

On July 11, 2008, Palin fired Commissioner of Public Safety, Walt Monegan.^[36] According to Monegan, he was fired over his reluctance to fire an Alaska State Trooper involved in a divorce and child custody battle with Palin's sister, Molly McCann. Palin claimed that she fired Monegan so the Department could head in a "new direction" and noted that her ex-brother-in-law is still employed by the state.^[37] Alaska House Speaker, John Harris disputed that claim, stating there is "no different direction we are going in."^[37] Alaska Senate leaders have called for a special investigator to determine if Palin and her staff violated the state personnel act.^[37]

Approval ratings

In July 2007, Palin had an approval rating often in the 90s.^[38] A poll the following month had her approval rating at 84 percent, with five percent disapproving.^[39]

A May 2008 poll showed her continuing to maintain her approval ratings in the mid 80s. Palin has been mentioned as a viable candidate for the Vice-Presidency for GOP candidate Senator John McCain in the 2008 election.^[40][41]

Electoral history

Election results

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Sarah Palin

• Alaska Office of Governor Sarah Palin
• National Governors Association - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin biography
• University of Idaho alumni magazine - Sarah Palin - winter 2008 - p.14
• Follow the Money - Palin 2006 campaign contributions
• Follow the Money - Palin/Parnell 2006 campaign contributions
• On the Issues - Sarah Palin's issue positions and quotes
• Project Vote Smart - Governor Sarah H. Palin profile
• Palin for Governor
• 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
• Official Portrait
• Alaska's 'Frustrated' Governor Palin On Our 'Nonsensical' Energy Policy Interview with Investor's Business Daily

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