A hunter, a biker and a mother: guess who wants to return to the US Congress
Sarah Palin, who made headlines when she was chosen to be the Republican Party's vice presidential nominee alongside presidential candidate John McCain in the 2008 election, is one of three candidates in the primary election for Alaska's lone seat in the House of Representatives.
news agencies
08/16/2022
Tuesday, August 16, 2022, 2:45 p.m. Updated: 2:58 p.m.
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Alaskans will vote today (Tuesday) on whether to send former governor and former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin to Congress again.
Palin, who made headlines when she was chosen to run for vice president alongside presidential candidate John McCain in the 2008 election, is one of three candidates in a special election for Alaska's lone seat in the House of Representatives.
She is running against Republican Nick Begich III and Democrat Mary Flatola.
The winner will serve as Cogners until the end of the year, continuing the tenure of Republican Congressman Don Young, who died in March after 49 years in public service.
Palin announced her support for Trump: "He will kick ISIS in the butt" (Photo: Reuters, editing: Gadi Weinstock)
Begich is a wealthy technology entrepreneur.
He comes from a family of devout Democrats and is named after his grandfather, a former congressman.
The Democratic platoon is expected to benefit from the fact that two Republicans are running for office and may be a Native American congresswoman.
The winner of tonight's special election in Alaska will not be announced until late August, after the mail-in ballots are counted.
The two Republican candidates have been sparring in recent weeks.
Begich called Palin a "loser" in reference to the disappointment Alaska Republicans felt when she resigned as governor in 2009 due to her failed 2008 vice presidential bid.
"We chose her to play a role, and she didn't bother to finish the job. She wanted to be rich and famous," Begich's advertisement reads.
Sarah Palin next to John McCain and his wife (Photo: Reuters)
Palin received the support of former President Donald Trump, but according to commentators, she faces a difficult road in the midterm elections in November due to her low approval ratings.
Some voters said she abandoned Alaska after she resigned in 2009 amid various ethics and debt complaints.
On the other hand, support for her remains strong among other Republicans, including conservative women who empathize with the hardships of being a working mother.
In her hometown of Wasilla, some voters still remember the days when Palin competed in beauty pageants and starred on the local high school basketball team.
Some admire the way she hasn't changed, even during the time she became famous all over the world, and the fact that she is always ready to talk to the people on the street.
Many also fondly remember her campaign in 2008 alongside McCain, in which she was criticized but also supported for her anti-establishment statements and the image of the devoted mother she presented.
Some see her being a celebrity on the extreme right as an asset.
They say she will be able to draw attention to Alaska in a way that a new member of Congress cannot.
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Sarah Palin's book (Photo: Reuters)
But her fame also cost her votes.
Since resigning as governor, Palin has mostly appeared on television on conservative channels like Newsmax and promoted other Republicans out of state.
Some voters in Alaska are not happy about that.
Her former in-laws, Todd Palin's parents, held a fundraising event for Bagich yesterday.
When Jim Palin, Todd's father, was asked why he supported him over his former bride, he replied: "Because he will stay in office as long as we want him to."
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