Craig Campbell (politician) December 2010, after having withdrawn from the Republican primary race for lieutenant governor, which was eventually won by Mead Treadwell. Before serving as lieutenant governor, Campbell was the commissioner of the Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. In that role, he was head of the state's National Guard, with the rank of Lieutenant General. On July 3, 2009, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced that she would resign effective July 26. Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell would become governor, and Campbell would replace Parnell as lieutenant governor. In 2010, Campbell opted to not seek election as lieutenant governor, preferring to return
1998 Alaska gubernatorial election 1998 Alaska gubernatorial election The 1998 Alaska gubernatorial general election took place on November 3, 1998. The election resulted in a landslide for the Democratic incumbent, Tony Knowles, who had won the 1994 gubernatorial election by only 536 votes. Knowles was the first incumbent governor to attain re-election since 1978. As of 2019, this is the most recent election in which a Democrat was elected Governor of Alaska and the most recent election in which an Alaskan governor was re-elected. Incumbent Democratic governor Tony Knowles was up for re-election. On the Republican side, three major candidates jockeyed for the nomination: