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
Peggy Wilson (Alaska politician) Peggy Wilson (Alaska politician) Peggy Wilson (born September 8, 1945) is a former Republican member of the Alaska House of Representatives, who represented the 2nd District from 2001 through 2013 and the 33rd district from 2013-2015. She had also served as the majority leader. She had previously served for five years in the North Carolina House of Representatives. Wilson served as Chair of the Transportation Committee, and was a member of the Education Committee, Resources Committee, State Affairs Committee, and the Legislative Council. She also served on the Education & Early Development, Labor & Workforce Development, and Transportation & Public