In 2006, running on a clean-government platform, Palin defeated incumbent Governor Frank Murkowski in the Republican gubernatorial primary.
Her running mate was Sean Parnell.

In the November election Palin was outspent but victorious, defeating former Democratic governor Tony Knowles by a margin of 48.3% to 41.0%.
She became Alaska's first female governor and, at the age of 42, the youngest governor in Alaskan history.
She was the state's first governor to have been born after Alaska achieved U.S. statehood, and the first who was not inaugurated in the capital, Juneau (she chose to have the ceremony held in Fairbanks instead).

She took office on December 4, 2006.
For most of her term, she was very popular with Alaska voters.
Polls taken in 2007 showed her with 93% and 89% popularity among all voters.
The Anchorage Daily News and The Weekly Standard called her "the most popular governor in America."
A poll taken in late September 2008, after Palin was named to the national Republican ticket, showed her popularity in Alaska at 68%.
A poll taken in May 2009 indicated Palin's popularity among Alaskans had declined to 54% positive and 41.6% negative.

Palin declared that top priorities of her administration would be resource development, education and workforce development, public health and safety, and transportation and infrastructure development.
She had championed ethics reform throughout her election campaign.
Her first legislative action after taking office was to push for a bipartisan ethics reform bill.
She signed the resulting legislation in July 2007, calling it a "first step" and declaring that she remained determined to clean up Alaska politics.

Palin frequently broke with the Alaskan Republican establishment.
For example, she endorsed Parnell's bid to unseat Don Young, the state's longtime at-large U.S. Representative.
She publicly challenged then-U.S. Senator Ted Stevens to "come clean" about the federal investigation into his financial dealings.
Shortly before Stevens was indicted in July 2008, Palin held a joint news conference with him.
The Washington Post described this as intended to "make clear she had not abandoned him politically."
She promoted the development of oil and natural-gas resources in Alaska, including drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
Proposals to drill for oil in ANWR have catalyzed national debate.

In 2006, Palin obtained a passport and in 2007 traveled for the first time outside North America, on a trip to Kuwait.
There she visited the Khabari Alawazem Crossing at the Kuwait–Iraq border, and met with members of the Alaska National Guard at several bases.
On her return journey she visited injured soldiers in Germany.
In 2006, running on a clean-government platform, Palin defeated incumbent Governor Frank Murkowski in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Her running mate was Sean Parnell.
In the November election Palin was outspent but victorious, defeating former Democratic governor Tony Knowles by a margin of 48.3% to 41.0%. She became Alaska's first female governor and, at the age of 42, the youngest governor in Alaskan history. She was the state's first governor to have been born after Alaska achieved U.S. statehood, and the first who was not inaugurated in the capital, Juneau (she chose to have the ceremony held in Fairbanks instead).
She took office on December 4, 2006. For most of her term, she was very popular with Alaska voters. Polls taken in 2007 showed her with 93% and 89% popularity among all voters. The Anchorage Daily News and The Weekly Standard called her "the most popular governor in America." A poll taken in late September 2008, after Palin was named to the national Republican ticket, showed her popularity in Alaska at 68%. A poll taken in May 2009 indicated Palin's popularity among Alaskans had declined to 54% positive and 41.6% negative.
Palin declared that top priorities of her administration would be resource development, education and workforce development, public health and safety, and transportation and infrastructure development. She had championed ethics reform throughout her election campaign. Her first legislative action after taking office was to push for a bipartisan ethics reform bill. She signed the resulting legislation in July 2007, calling it a "first step" and declaring that she remained determined to clean up Alaska politics.
Palin frequently broke with the Alaskan Republican establishment. For example, she endorsed Parnell's bid to unseat Don Young, the state's longtime at-large U.S. Representative. She publicly challenged then-U.S. Senator Ted Stevens to "come clean" about the federal investigation into his financial dealings. Shortly before Stevens was indicted in July 2008, Palin held a joint news conference with him. The Washington Post described this as intended to "make clear she had not abandoned him politically." She promoted the development of oil and natural-gas resources in Alaska, including drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Proposals to drill for oil in ANWR have catalyzed national debate.
In 2006, Palin obtained a passport and in 2007 traveled for the first time outside North America, on a trip to Kuwait. There she visited the Khabari Alawazem Crossing at the Kuwait–Iraq border, and met with members of the Alaska National Guard at several bases. On her return journey she visited injured soldiers in Germany.
Sarah Palin