Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced Friday that she’s running for Congress in the Last Frontier, looking to make a political comeback after more than a decade out of office.
The 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee will run in a crowded special election for Alaska’s only seat in the US House of Representatives, left vacant when longtime Rep. Don Young died two weeks ago.
Palin, 58, said she is returning to politics because she believes “America is at a tipping point” with economic hardships like soaring inflation and high gas prices.
“As I’ve watched the far left destroy the country, I knew I had to step up and join the fight,” Palin said in a statemen.
“The people of the great State of Alaska, like others all over the country, are struggling with out-of-control inflation, empty shelves, and gas prices that are among the highest in the world. We need energy security for this country, and Alaska can help provide that — but only if the federal government gets out of the way and lets the free market do what it does best.”
In announcing her candidacy, she mentioned Young, who served in the House for 49 years.
“I realize that I have very big shoes to fill , and I plan to honor Rep. Young’s legacy by offering myself up in the name of service to the state he loved and fought for, because I share that passion for Alaska and the United States of America,” she said.
Palin, who ran alongside Republican presidential candidate John McCain in 2008, teased a possible run for an Alaskan senate seat against incumbent Lisa Murkowski last year.
Palin has not held an elected office since she resigned as Alaska’s governor in 2009.
“I’m in this race to win it and join the fight for freedom alongside other patriots willing to sacrifice all to save our country.
