Palin was a member of the Wasilla, Alaska city council from 1992 to 1996, and was the city's leader or mayor from 1996 to 2002. She tried to become the assistant to the Governor of Alaska (the lieutenant governor) in 2002, but lost the race. Palin led the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from 2003 to 2004, and was chosen to become Governor of Alaska in November 2006 by first being picked to be the choice of the Republican Party and then being chosen over a man in the Democratic Party who had twice been governor of the state. She was both the youngest governor of Alaska and the first female governor of the state. She resigned July 26, 2009. Though elected on a platform of clean government, she blamed the many ethics cases brought against her. She said the legal costs and time kept her from doing her job.