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
Richard Foster (Alaska politician) the history of the Alaska House, behind Carl Moses, who also represented western Alaska (Max Gruenberg surpassed his tenure in October 2015). He was also a second-generation member of the Alaska Legislature; his father, Neal W. "Willie" Foster (1916-1979), served one term apiece in the Alaska Senate representing Nome before and following statehood. Richard Foster (Alaska politician) Neal Richard Foster (August 9, 1946 – October 13, 2009) was a Democratic member of the Alaska House of Representatives, representing various districts centered on Nome, Alaska from 1989 until his death. Though a Democrat, he frequently caucused with the Republicans and served