Sarah Palin 2016: 6 Facts About Political Background of GOP Presidential Hopeful

Sarah Palin, the first woman to campaign as the Republican choice for vice president in 2008, served as the ninth governor of Alaska and chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission before she was selected as the running mate of Sen. John McCain, Republican presidential candidate. Here are five facts about the political background of this possible 2016 GOP presidential hopeful.

1. Though she pursued a career in journalism following her college graduation, Palin’s interest in political systems was evident during her undergraduate years. She graduated from the University of Idaho with a minor in political science and a major in journalism.

Urgent: Do You Support Sarah Palin for the GOP Nomination? Vote Here Now

2. A Republican since registering in 1982, Palin’s early years in city politics began in 1992 when she was elected to the city council in Wasilla, Alaska, winning 530 votes to 310.

3. Palin’s role on the city council led to her appointment of mayor of Wasilla for two three-year terms from 1996 to 2002.

4. In 2003, after Palin’s unsuccessful run for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in 2002, she took charge of safety and efficiency of Alaska’s oil and gas fields as chairwoman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

Vote Now: Which Potential GOP Candidate Would You Support in 2016?

5. Sarah Palin was elected as the ninth governor of Alaska, a position she held from 2006 until her resignation in 2009, making her the state’s first woman governor and the youngest person to hold the office.

6. In 2009, Palin launched a federally registered political action committee, SarahPAC, which according to its website is “dedicated to building America's future by supporting fresh ideas and candidates who share our vision for reform and innovation” based on the belief that “energy independence is a cornerstone of the economic security and progress that every American family wants and deserves.”

The decision whether or not to run for president in 2016 would depend on what “Americans really, really want in a candidate,” Palin told Fox News. “If they want a fighter, if they want someone who can so respect our exceptionalism, everything that makes America great, the promise of America. And if we don't find that, then I would run.”

Urgent: Who Should the GOP Nominate in 2016? Vote Here Now

Related Stories:

• Sarah Palin 2016: What 5 Leading Pundits Say About Possible GOP Presidential Hopeful
• Sarah Palin 2016: What 5 Liberal Pundits Say About GOP Potential Presidential Hopeful