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Top 10 Interesting Facts about Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on February 11, 2012, By Gage Skidmore –

An American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality, Sarah Louise Heath Palin is no new name to Americans. With a colorful political Career and an interesting social life, she is best known for being John McCain鈥檚 running mate in the 2008 presidential elections. But how much is known about her? Here are 10 interesting facts about Sarah Palin.

1. She was the first female governor of Alaska

Palin ran her first statewide campaign in 2002 for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor but lost. The Governor at the time, Frank Murkowski appointed her to chair the state’s Oil and Gas Conservation Commission a year later.

In 2004 Sarah was in protest over the “lack of ethics” of fellow Alaskan Republican leaders resigning from her post as chair. Moreover, Palin won the general election in November 2006 defeating former Democratic Governor Tony Knowles.

She became the 11th Governor of Alaska. Making history as the first female governor and youngest governor of Alaska at 42 years old. Palin also became the state’s first governor to be born after Alaska became a state in 1959.

2. Sarah participated in beauty pageant contests

In 1984, Sarah competed in the miss Wasilla pageant which she won, and went ahead to try the Miss Alaska pageant. She played the flute as her talent showcase; however, she didn鈥檛 win and was voted as the first runner taking home the Miss Congeniality title for the most popular contestant among the finalists.

3. Palin was the Mayor of Wasilla

former Governor Sarah Palin speaking at the 2016 Politico at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California By Gage Skidmore –

Sarah started her political career as a republican and has remained that way since 1982. She was elected to the Wasilla City Council in 1992, with a steep win of 530 votes. According to Palin, her growing concern about the revenue expenditure of Wasilla prompted her to run for Mayor in 1996. Her campaign targeted wasteful spending and high taxes.

She defeated Mayor John Stein with a whopping 651 to 440 votes. Sarah ran for reelection against John Stein in 1999 and won by 909 votes. In the same year, she was also elected president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors. Palin completed the second of the two consecutive three-year terms allowed by the city charter in 2002.

4. Sarah was a political contributor for fox news

Palin rose to fame as Sen. John McCain鈥檚 running mate in his 2008 run for the White House. Fox News sought her out for this reason and she signed on as a Fox News commentator in January 2010.

 This was a few months after she had resigned from governing Alaska. According to speculations, she was reportedly paid $1 million a year for her contributions. In June of 2015, Palin left Fox news as her contract with the news outlet had expired.

5. She is an outspoken conservative protestant

Sarah has managed to galvanize the party鈥檚 conservative Christian base and launch a movement that has evolved from its staunchly anti-feminist roots in the 1970s.

Throughout her political career, she has stuck to her guns on issues like opposing abortion rights and gay marriage. Moreover, she managed to ban 2nd-trimester abortion at The Valley hospital which was the only hospital offering such services. 

She has been quoted saying,鈥� Together, the pro-woman, pro-life sisterhood is telling the young women of America that they are capable of handling an unintended pregnancy and still pursue a career and an education.鈥�

Many feminists have been put off by her actions and opposition to gay rights, abortion, and lack of experience and expertise in national or international affairs.

6. Sarah is a member of the national rifle association

Sarah Palin testing out the Engagement Skills Trainer at Camp Buehring By Pfc. Christopher Grammer

Since 1871, the National Rifle Association has been the biggest firearms education organization in the world. Its main cause Being training the next generation of gun owners to lead legislative and political efforts to defend the Second Amendment.

Palin has been a longtime NRA member and leader. She has never shied away from speaking about gun laws and has urged America’s National Rifle Association not to back down in the face of pressure. She is a big advocate of 鈥榝reedom鈥� and has also gone as far as calling her son Trigger

7. She was a tv sports anchor

After Sarah Heath (at the time) received her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Idaho in May 1987. She worked as a sportscaster for KTUU-TV and KTVA-TV and as a sports reporter for the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. This, she says, was a way to fulfill her dream of being a journalist and being on TV.

She eloped with Todd Palin, her high school sweetheart the following year and the two welcomed their first child in April 1989. Sarah stayed and helped in her husband’s commercial fishing business as they raised their growing family.

8. Palin has been on a couple of reality tv shows

Sarah Palin in Savannah, Georgia, Dec 1, 2008, campaigning for the re-election of Saxy Chambliss By Bruce Tuten –

The Palin family has appeared on a number realities tv shows. Sarah has starred in 鈥榃elcome to the world of SARAH PALIN’S ALASKA鈥� on TLC where he gives an inside to Alaskan life.

She also 鈥淎mazing America with Sarah Palin,鈥� on the Sportsman Channel which is around the country as she and a crew explore 鈥減eople, places, and pastimes connected to America鈥檚 outdoor lifestyle.鈥�

Both her son and daughter have appeared on reality Tv shows such as dancing with the stars.

9. John McCain chose her as his running mate

McCain cautioned him that voters could see a Palin pick as discordant with the message of readiness and experience that the campaign had been focusing on as a contrast with Obama, thus choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate.

After announcing Sarah as the presumptive vice-presidential nominee in the McCain bid for the presidency, the McCain campaign received US$7 million in contributions in a day.

They gained huge support among white women voters and led by five percent in the Gallup polls. Sarah accepted the vice-presidential nomination of the Republican party at the convention on September 3, 2008.

10. Former Governor, Sarah Palin has faced public scrutiny

Former Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska speaking at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) By Gage Skidmore –

Palin famously launched an attack on Obama for his association with former Weather Underground member William Ayers causing many to doubt her knowledge and skills as a leader.

Sarah, who has been very vocal about abstinence-only sex education made and that she was about to be a grandmother at 44, through her unwed teenage daughter, Bristol. This announcement caused a big fuss as people criticized her for being a hypocrite.

As Mayor, she was accused of using public funds to acquire land to build a hockey rink in the town of Wasilla when. Because Sarah didn’t sign the right paperwork, Wasilla ended up with the weight of hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to sort out the real-estate dispute.

Despite the controversies, she has faced and the challenges she met, Sarah has managed to leave a print on the history of Alaska.