She was the Republican vice presidential nominee under U. Senator John McCain. Palin was elected to the Wasilla city council in and became mayor of Wasilla in In , after an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor , she was appointed chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission , responsible for overseeing the state's oil and gas fields for safety and efficiency. In , at age 42, she became the youngest person and the first woman to be elected governor of Alaska. She was the first Republican female vice presidential nominee and the second female vice presidential nominee of a major party , after Geraldine Ferraro in Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Throughout the race, her public image and experience came under media attention. Although her vice presidential bid alongside McCain was unsuccessful, the presidential election significantly raised Palin's national profile. Since her resignation as governor in , she has campaigned for the fiscally conservative Tea Party movement.
In addition, she has publicly endorsed several candidates in multiple election cycles, including Donald Trump in his presidential campaign. She has also led a career as a television personality. From to , she provided political commentary for Fox News.
In , Palin ran in the special election for Alaska's at-large congressional seat that was vacated after the death of Representative Don Young , [ 8 ] but lost to Democrat Mary Peltola , who completed Young's unfinished term.
Palin's siblings are Chuck Jr. When Palin was a few months old, the family moved to Skagway, Alaska , [ 16 ] where her father had been hired to teach. Palin played flute in the junior high band. She attended Wasilla High School , where she was head of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes [ 20 ] and a member of the girls' basketball and cross-country running teams. In , Palin won the Miss Wasilla beauty pageant ; [ 25 ] she finished third as second runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant, where she won the title of "Miss Congeniality".
