WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Sarah Palin for Congress.
In a statement released Sunday, Trump put his backing behind the former Alaska governor in her bid for the now-vacant U.S. House seat of longtime Republican Rep. Don Young.
Young died last month at 88 after serving in the seat for 49 years.
"Sarah shocked many when she endorsed me very early in 2016, and we won big," Trump said, adding that "Now it's my turn!"
The endorsement comes two days after Palin announced her interest in the seat, joining a crowded field of 50 other candidates vying to replace Young.
Palin was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, running alongside the late Sen. John McCain.
Since the pair's loss to Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the presidential race, Palin has kept a low profile in Alaskan politics, but has garnered national attention through book tours and speaking engagements.
She has hinted at possible runs for office in the past but never took the plunge. In her statement Friday, she said America is “at a tipping point” and that she's in the race to "win it and join the fight for freedom alongside other patriots willing to sacrifice all to save our country.”
Palin is the highest-profile candidate in the race so far, and is a household name in Alaska and in many places across the U.S.
Others who filed Friday include Democratic state Rep. Adam Wool; independent Al Gross, an orthopedic surgeon who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in 2020; and Emil Notti, a Democrat who narrowly lost the 1973 election to Young. Former lawmakers Andrew Halcro and Mary Sattler Peltola are also running.
They join a field that had already included Republican Nick Begich, who previously announced plans to run for U.S. House last fall; Democrat Christopher Constant, an Anchorage Assembly member; and John Coghill, a Republican former state lawmaker.
In his endorsement, Trump also took a swipe at McCain, a political enemy who sometimes bucked the Republican party and was a frequent target for the president until the senator's death in 2018.
"Sarah lifted the McCain presidential campaign out of the dumps despite the fact that she had to endure some very evil, stupid, and jealous people within the campaign itself," Trump said. "They were out to destroy her, but she didn’t let that happen."
A special primary is set for June 11. The top four vote-getters will advance to an Aug. 16 special election in which ranked-choice voting will be used, a process in line with a new elections system approved by voters in 2020.
The winner, targeted to be certified by Sept. 2, will serve the remainder of Young's term, which expires in January.
The special election will coincide with the regular primary. The regular primary and November general election will determine who represents Alaska in the House for a two-year term starting in January.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
