Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced on Friday that she is running for Congress, joining a field of at least 40 candidates seeking to fill the vacant seat left by late Representative Don Young.
“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 said in a statement on Twitter.
Join our campaign -> https://t.co/CrlfiG8MJn
— Sarah Palin (@SarahPalinUSA) April 2, 2022
“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
The announcement comes after Alaska’s sole representative, Don Young, died last month at the age of 88. Young was the longest-serving member of the current Congress since 1973.
A special election to fill his seat will be held this summer, with a primary scheduled for June 11 and a special general election on August 16, which is the same date as Alaska’s regularly scheduled primaries.
The winner of the special election will finish the remainder of Young’s term, which is until January 2023.
The Alaska Division of Elections received submissions from Palin and other candidates by Friday’s filing deadline.
“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,” Palin said.
“I first entered politics 30 years ago, when I was elected to city council in Wasilla. I still live in Wasilla; my family is here; my son goes to school here. My heart will always be in Alaska, even when I’m representing this great state in Washington, D.C,” she continued.
Palin also cited President Joe Biden’s economic failures as reasons for her decision to run for Congress.
“America is at a tipping point. 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 all over the country, are struggling with out-of-control inflation, empty shelves, and gas prices that are among the highest in the world,” she added.
