Sarah Palin is running for Congress.
The former Alaska governor and right-wing Tea Party champion had stepped away from politics since her failed vice presidential bid in 2008 as Republican John McCain’s running mate.
The congressional seat opened up when longtime Republican Rep. Don Young died last week. Palin quickly indicated she would consider running for the seat. She confirmed her candidacy with a statement Friday.
Palin joins a jam-packed field of about 40 candidates to fill the House seat left vacant by Young, a conservative Republican who held the seat for 48 years. Young, 88, was the longest-serving member of the 117th Congress.
Palin said in her statement that she planned to honor Young’s legacy and vowed to battle the “radical left,” high gas prices, inflation and illegal immigration.
“America is at a tipping point,” she said in the statement. “As I’ve watched the far left destroy the country, I knew I had to step up and join the fight.”
Though Palin has not had a political role in 12 years, she has remained in the public eye and in the news.
She sued The New York Times for libel, claiming that a 2017 editorial erroneously linked her political rhetoric to a mass shooting. The newspaper acknowledged and corrected the error soon after it was published. A jury threw out the suit in February. But Palin appealed just weeks ago.
In 2020, Palin surprised audiences when she revealed her identity on the reality performance program “The Masked Singer.”
A special primary will take place June 11, and the special election will held Aug. 16. The winning candidate will be determined by ranked-choice voting. The winner must have a majority of votes.