Former Alaska Governor and U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has formally announced her bid for Alaska’s at-large Congressional seat. If Palin secured the nomination, she will be subjected to a marathon of elections under Alaska’s new voting laws.
Palin signaled interest in running for the lone Congressional seat in Alaska late last month, but formally announced her candidacy on Friday. The seat opened up after Rep. Don Young, who had served in Congress since the early 70’s, passed away at the age of 88.
“Today I’m announcing my candidacy for the U.S. House seat representing Alaska. Public service is a calling, and I would be honored to represent the men and women of Alaska in Congress, just as Rep. Young did for 49 years,” Palin wrote in a Facebook statement. “I realize that I have very big shoes to fill, and I plan to honor Rep. Young’s legacy by offering myself up in the name of service to the state he loved and fought for, because I share that passion for Alaska and the United States of America.”
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“Today I’m announcing my candidacy for the U.S. House seat representing Alaska. Public service is a calling, and I would be honored to represent the men and women of Alaska in Congress, just as Rep. Young did for 49 years.” – SP pic.twitter.com/pdMpeDGlRV
— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) April 2, 2022
Palin’s announcement came on the filing deadline for the June 11th primary. She will be entering a crowded field, though she is expected to emerge as an early frontrunner. 51 candidates have filed their candidacy for the sole Congressional seat in the state of Alaska as of Friday’s deadline.
Under Alaska’s new voting system, the results of the primary election will be announced on June 26. From there, the top four finishers will advance to a special election on August 16 where the winner will be chosen via ranked-choice voting, according to Anchorage Daily News. The winner will then be subjected to another election just months later in November.
Sarah Palin previously served as the 9th Governor of Alaska from 2006 through 2009. Prior to her seat in the governor’s mansion, Palin served as Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska from 1996-2002. Most notably, she was selected as John McCain’s running mate in 2008 due to her appeal to the conservative base.
