The outcome of Alaska's special election might determine Sarah Palin's political future.

 After a protracted absence, the former governor returned to run for the state's lone House seat with Trump's support.

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  • As the right-wing firebrand, who first gained notoriety as a vice presidential candidate more than ten years ago, begged Alaskans to elect her to Congress on Tuesday, Sarah Palin's political future hung in the balance.
  • The special election to fill the vacant Republican representative Don Young's seat in the US House ended on Tuesday night. As Alaskans are adopting a ranked voting system for the first time, the outcome of Palin's bid to return to political office could not be known for several days.
  • Nick Begich III, a tech millionaire supported by the Alaska Republican party, and Mary Peltola, a former state lawmaker and Democrat, are Palin's rivals. The victor will complete Young's term before running in a subsequent election in November.
  • Young was elected to the position for the first time in 1973 and held the state's lone House seat for close to 50 years, making him the longest-serving Republican.
  • Palin, 58, initially gained notoriety in the 2008 elections as John McCain's running mate, when she dubbed herself a "mother grizzly" and developed a reputation as a free-lipped loose cannon. In many respects, Palin's attacks on the media, her incitement of racial hysteria, and her preference for demagoguery over policy or conventional politics opened the way for Trump, who she supported early on.
  • After that unsuccessful 2008 campaign, Palin resigned as governor of Alaska and took a lengthy break from politics due to ethics scandals. She made a comeback this year by joining Trump at rallies and fundraisers, but she frequently snubbed conventional campaign events and debates in her own state.
  • In a non-partisan primary, Senator Lisa Murkowski competed against 18 opponents, including Trump-backed Senate candidate Kelly Tshibaka. The top four finishers will move on to the regular election in November.

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  • Both the contests for Congress and the Senate will shed light on the influence that Trump continues to have over voters, even in Alaska, the "Last Frontier," where the majority of voters have not expressed a party preference.
  • Despite the belief among many voters that Palin abandoned her state after resigning as governor, Palin remained the most well-known contender in the election and maybe one of the most well-known Alaskans. She started a career in reality television after leaving politics, highlighting her life and state on programmes like Sarah's Alaska and singing Baby's Got Back by Sir Mix-A-Lot while wearing a pink and blue bear costume on an episode of The Masked Singer.
  • "I knew who Sarah was before I became an Alaskan," admitted 47-year-old Kari Jones, who relocated to the state five years ago as a result of her husband's military assignment. Jones, however, said that her husband supported Begich in large part because the former governor had been less approachable than her rivals and had skipped a local meet-and-greet event. Jones stated, "She did lose some votes as a result of that."
  • Aundra Jackson, 60, who was fishing for coho salmon in Anchorage before the election said, "I'm looking for people that prove they're really dedicated to the state, not just around election season."

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When Palin first became governor, about 15 years ago, she was a feisty outsider who defeated Lisa Murkowski's father Frank Murkowski, a strong incumbent. According to pollster Ivan Moore, who is headquartered in Anchorage, Palin's approval rating at the time was at its highest point, slightly over 90%. Before she turned further toward right-wing politics, she was known for her bipartisanship, founding a subcabinet on climate change and opposing the oil and gas business.

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