United States: Sarah Palin defeated in a test election before the mid-term legislative elections

Republican Sarah Palin lost the by-election for Alaska's seat in the US House of Representatives to Democrat Mary Peltola on August 31, 2022. AP - Bill Roth

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The former Republican governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, lost on Wednesday August 31 a by-election for the only seat of this state in the American House of Representatives.

Defeated by Democrat Mary Peltola, she misses an opportunity to return to politics.

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Without a mandate since her resignation as governor of Alaska in July 2009,

was aiming for the state seat in the House of Representatives, during a by-election linked to the death of Don Young.

The elected Republican, in office for 49 years, died on March 18, 2022 at the age of 88.

Sarah Palin was running for that vacant seat.

But despite the

, she lost to Democratic candidate Mary Peltola.

The latter, who obtained 51.5% of the vote, will therefore represent Alaska in the House of Representatives until November 8, when all of the 435 seats in this body will be up for grabs. Sarah Palin, 58, will be able to then stand for election again.

Thank you to all Alaskans who have put their faith in me as the first woman in Alaska's history to represent our state in the House of Representatives.

Tonight, we've shown that we can win as a campaign that is pro-choice, pro-fish, pro-worker, and pro-Alaska.

— Mary Peltola (@MaryPeltola) September 1, 2022

A Christian conservative who has played a key role in the Republican Party's populist shift over the past decade, the former governor found herself in the spotlight when presidential hopeful John McCain picked her as running mate and running mate. vice-presidency in the 2008 elections. The duo had been beaten by Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

Sarah Palin's rise, many observers say, paved the way for Donald Trump to win the White House in 2016. The former president, defeated by Joe Biden in 2020, is trying to consolidate his grip on the Republican Party by supporting, during the primaries, the candidates who are favorable to him against those of the more moderate Republican right, with mixed success so far.

During the

, the Americans will also renew a third of the United States Senate and around thirty governorships.

► Also to listen: Midterm elections in the United States: "Biden is historically unpopular but the wheel is turning"

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