Sarah Palin Biography

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John McCain has named his running mate for the presidential election campaign. That running mate is Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska.

Sarah Palin was born Feb. 11, 1964, in Sandpoint, Idaho. Her family moved to Alaska when she was very young, and she has lived there ever since.

An athlete in school, Palin also took an interest in beauty contests, finishing second in the 1984 Miss Alaska pageant. Her college degree in communications and journalism served her well in her first full-time job, as a sports reporter for an Anchorage television station.

Her political experience began when she was elected to the city council of Wasilla. She was elected mayor in 1996. A decade later, she won election as governor of Alaska, a post she holds to this day.

Palin married Todd Palin in 1988. The couple have five children.