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
2010 United States House of Representatives election in Alaska Republican nomination. Andrew Halcro, a former member of the state House of Representatives who unsuccessfully tan for Governor of Alaska in 2006, said in September 2009 that he would challenge Young in the 2010 Republican primary, but in February 2010 said he was reconsidering his decision. Gabrielle LeDoux, a former member of the state House of Representatives who sought the Republican nomination in the district in 2008, said in July 2009 that she would not run in 2010 if Young sought re-election. Crawford was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Ethan Berkowitz, the former minority leader of the state House of