Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has officially announced that she is running for Congress.
Palin will run in the special election to fill Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat.
She will be joining a crowded field of other candidates who want to fill the seat of the late-U.S. Rep. Don Young, who died last month.
“Public service is a calling,” Palin said.
“I would be honored to represent the men and women of Alaska in Congress, just as Rep. Young did for 49 years.
“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.”
“America is at a tipping point,” she warned.
“As I’ve watched the far left destroy the country, I knew I had to step up and join the fight.
“The people of the great state of Alaska like others are struggling with out-of-control inflation and gas prices that are among the highest in the world.”
Sarah Palin announces she’s running for Congress, reentering national politics after more than a decade hiatus. pic.twitter.com/xEMeMiQH7Y
— Jeremy W. Peters (@jwpetersNYT) April 2, 2022
From CBS: Others who filed Friday include Republican state Sen. Josh Revak; Democratic state Rep. Adam Wool; independent Al Gross, an orthopedic surgeon who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2020; and Andrew Halcro, a former Republican state lawmaker who is running as an independent.
They join a field that includes Republican Nick Begich, who had positioned himself as a challenger to Young; Democrat Christopher Constant, an Anchorage Assembly member; and John Coghill, a Republican former state lawmaker.
Palin is a former Alaska governor and the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee.
She has kept a low profile in Alaska politics since leaving office in 2009, before her term as governor ended.
Revak, who previously worked for Young’s office and was a statewide co-chair for Young’s reelection bid, said he felt a “strong calling and a duty” to step forward.
He said he was “heartbroken” by the filing timeline, coinciding with a period he said should be focused on remembering Young.
Young lied in state at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. A public memorial was held in the Washington, D.C.-area on Wednesday and a public memorial is planned in Anchorage on Saturday.
From WNYTV:
Young, a Republican, had held Alaska’s House seat since 1973 and was seeking reelection at the time of his death last month at age 88.
A special primary is set for June 11. The top four vote-getters will advance to an Aug. 16 special election in which ranked choice voting will be used, a process in line with a new elections system approved by voters in 2020.
The winner will serve the remainder of Young’s term, which expires in January. The division is targeting Sept. 2 to certify the special election.
Others who filed Friday include Republican state Sen. Josh Revak; Democratic state Rep. Adam Wool; independent Al Gross, an orthopedic surgeon who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2020; and Andrew Halcro, a former Republican state lawmaker who is running as an independent. They join a field that includes Republican Nick Begich, who had positioned himself as a challenger to Young; Democrat Christopher Constant, an Anchorage Assembly member; and John Coghill, a Republican former state lawmaker.
