Following Her Failed Lawsuit, Former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin Lost In Statewide Special Election

After unsuccessfully alleging that The New York Times defamed her, Palin continued on the campaign trail triggered by the death of Alaska’s only member of Congress, Don Young. Despite her nationwide fame, Palin lost in the state’s first ranked-choice vote against Alaska Native Mary Peltola. Sarah Palin, the 2008 vice presidential nominee and former Governor

After unsuccessfully alleging that The New York Times defamed her, Palin continued on the campaign trail triggered by the death of Alaska’s only member of Congress, Don Young. Despite her nationwide fame, Palin lost in the state’s first ranked-choice vote against Alaska Native Mary Peltola.

Sarah Palin, the 2008 vice presidential nominee and former Governor of Alaska, recently lost to Democrat Mary Peltola in Alaska’s special election for the state’s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Though she had not sought out public office after having left her role as the state’s governor, Palin threw her hat in the ring during the special election spurred by the March death of Rep. Don Young.

Ultimately, she was beat by Mary Peltola who will be the first Alaska Native and first woman to hold the seat. Peltola had previously served in Alaska’s House of Representatives before moving from Bethel City Council to lobbyist, to salmon advocate as Kuskokwin River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission’s Executive Director.

Peltola ran on a platform of food security, ocean productivity, and abortion rights, while Palin had earned the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Palin had also recently been marred by a failed lawsuit in which she unsuccessfully claimed The New York Times defamed her.

Though she will only hold the seat until November, Peltola flipped a historically red seat blue for the first time since 1973 through the state’s first-ever ranked-choice election. Palin denounced the ranked-choice system as “crazy, convoluted, confusing” but July polling revealed that voters thought less favorably of her than they did Peltola in the first place. “Though we’re disappointed in this outcome, Alaskans know I’m the last one who’ll ever retreat. Instead, I’m going to reload. With optimism that Alaskans learn from this voting system mistake and correct it in the next election, let’s work even harder to send an America First conservative to Washington in November,” Palin said, referring to the fact that she, Peltola, and third opponent Nick Begich III will have the opportunity to run again in November for the full term.