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
Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina Carolina is Kevin L. Bryant since January 25, 2017. Bryant became lieutenant governor after Governor Haley resigned, Lieutenant Governor McMaster became governor, and President Pro Tempore of the South Carolina Senate Hugh Leatherman resigned. Bryant was elected as President Pro Tempore, which, according to the laws of succession, immediately made him lieutenant governor. Bryant did not campaign to remain lieutenant governor in the 2018 election, and he will be succeeded by Republican Pamela Evette on January 9, 2019. Beginning in 2018, the person elected to the office of lieutenant governor will no longer serve as the president of the Senate