Politics of Alaska best performance, with a net gain of 7.5 percentage points. In 2008, Governor Sarah Palin became the first Republican woman to run on a national ticket when she became John McCain's running mate. She continued to be a prominent national figure even after resigning from the governor's job in July 2009. Politics of Alaska Political party strength in Alaska has varied over the years. The communities of Juneau, Sitka, downtown and midtown Anchorage, the areas surrounding the College/University of Alaska Fairbanks campus and Ester and the "Alaska Bush" – rural, sparsely populated Alaska – stand out as Democratic strongholds, while
Seal of Alaska the state's wealth of timber, and the farmer, his horse, and the three shocks of wheat stand for Alaskan agriculture. The fish and the seals signify the importance of fishing and seal rookeries to Alaska's economy. Seal of Alaska The Seal of the State of Alaska was first adopted before statehood, when the area was known as the District of Alaska. The first governor designated a seal of the district, which featured glaciers, northern lights, igloos, and an Eskimo ice fishing. In 1910, this seal was replaced with a design more representative of the state's industrial and natural wealth. Today's