McCain, the Republican Presidential Candidate. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin: Governor Sarah Palin made history on Dec. 4, 2006, when she took office. As the 11th governor of Alaska, she is the first woman to hold the office. Since taking office, her top priorities have been resource development, education
and workforce development, public health
and safety,
and transportation
and infrastructure development. Under her leadership, Alaska invested $5 billion in state savings, overhauled education funding,
and implemented the Senior Benefits Program that provides support for low-income older Alaskans. She created Alaska's Petroleum Systems Integrity Office to provide oversight
and maintenance of oil
and gas equipment, facilities
and infrastructure,
and the Climate Change Subcabinet to prepare a climate change strategy for Alaska. 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. Prior to her election as governor, Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council
and two terms as the mayor/manager of Wasilla. During her tenure, she reduced property tax levels while increasing services
and made Wasilla a
business friendly environment, drawing in new industry. Sarah Heath Palin arrived in Alaska with her family in 1964, when her parents came to teach school in Skagway. She received a bachelor of science degree in communications-journalism from the University of Idaho in 1987. Palin, who graduated from Wasilla High School in 1982, has lived in Skagway, Eagle River
and Wasilla. She is married to Todd Palin, who is a lifelong Alaskan@F€
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