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
Bill Walker (American politician) with semen a sex crime. Lieutenant Governor Byron Mallott resigned on October 16, 2018, citing "inappropriate comments," which he and Walker did not detail. A new lieutenant governor, Alaska Health and Social Services Commissioner Valerie Davidson, was sworn in replace Mallott. Three days later, Walker announced that he was suspending his campaign, and endorsed the Democratic candidate, Mark Begich, for governor. Before becoming governor and moving to Juneau, Walker and his wife Donna resided in Anchorage. As of 2017, the couple had two sons, two daughters, and five grandchildren. He enjoys fishing, downhill skiing, snow-machining, boating, camping, and taking his