Palin’s parents surprised, pleased and proud

WASILLA, Alaska—Sally and Chuck Heath had no idea Friday what they were about to learn.

That was before they got a call early in the morning telling them to turn on the news. On the screen, their daughter, Gov. Sarah Palin, was standing before a raucous crowd in Dayton, Ohio, accepting Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain’s offer to become his vice presidential running mate.

“I didn’t know,” Chuck Heath said in an interview at his home later Friday. “Sarah didn’t say a word to us.”

The news has created national buzz over just who Palin is and has brought Alaska to the forefront of media reports across the country. It has also brought the media to the Heath home in Wasilla, where Palin’s parents were still adjusting to the news.

“On a one to 100 scale, it’s about 101,” Sally Heath said of her excitement level.

Chuck Heath said he and a friend were on their way to go gold mining and hunting when a flooded creek in a remote part of the Mat-Su Borough changed their plans.

Arriving back at home in the early morning hours, the Heaths got a call from a friend in Atlanta telling them to check the news. That’s when their day changed — big time.

“It was a total surprise,” Chuck Heath said of learning his daughter is the first woman to land on a GOP presidential ticket.

Both Heaths admitted to shedding lots of tears of happiness when they heard the news, but Chuck Heath said the waterworks have calmed down.

“So far, so good,” he said.

Although Palin’s new role in the McCain campaign, and the fact the Heaths hadn’t heard about it before the rest of the world, is a shock, her success doesn’t surprise her family.

It’s unclear exactly when Palin herself knew she would become McCain’s running mate. Staff members in Palin’s administration said they had no idea about McCain’s nomination until Friday morning. Palin’s press secretary, Bill McCallister, said he didn’t find out about the VP position until after 5:30 a.m. Friday. As late as 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Palin’s office sent out notices she would be at the Alaska State Fair on Friday to help launch the new state quarter.

Back at the Heath house, Chuck Heath showed off pictures of his governor daughter from years past. He showed with particular pride a photograph of Palin shooting a caribou.

Sally Heath said the governor called home just after her acceptance speech in Dayton to tell her parents they’ll be on a plane soon to attend the Republican National Convention, which is scheduled to begin Monday.

“She just told us to plan to go down there,” Sally Heath said.

As to the next few months of national campaigning, both Heaths said they think their daughter is ready to take the national stage.

“We’ll see what the next page is,” Sally Heath said.

Michael Rovito is a reporter for the Wasilla Frontiersman. Contact him at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com.

Palin’s path

Special to the Green Valley News

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin made history Friday by becoming the first woman to be on the Republican presidential ticket. U.S. Sen. John McCain announced his selection of Palin has his vice presidential running mate, which continues a meteoric political rise for the Wasilla, Alaska resident.

Following is a timeline of Palin’s political life prior to her election as governor:

1962: Sarah Heath born to Chuck and Sally Heath in Idaho. Sarah was third, after oldest Chuck Jr., and second oldest Heather. Molly came two years after Sarah.

1964: The Heaths move to Alaska so Chuck can take a teaching job in Skagway.

1969: The Heaths move to Eagle River.

1970: The Heaths move to Wasilla.

1982: Sarah graduates from Wasilla High School.

1984: Sarah finishes second in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant.

1987: Sarah Heath receives a bachelor of science degree in communications-journalism from the University of Idaho.

1988: Sarah Heath marries Todd Palin.

Oct. 6, 1992: Palin wins a seat on the Wasilla City Council, running on a platform of change.

Oct. 3, 1995: Palin elected to second council term.

Oct. 1 1996: Palin defeats incumbent John Stein to take the reins as Wasilla’s mayor. During an often-ugly campaign, Palin ran again on a platform of change and fresh ideas, garnering 60 percent of the vote. Stein decries Palin’s campaign as based less on issues than on personal attacks. He claims Palin supporters falsely painted him as anti-gun and anti-development.

Oct. 5 1999: Palin garners 70 percent of the vote to easily beat back a challenge from Stein and win her second term as mayor. Stein cites his loss as proof that Wasilla has turned into Anchorage.

Aug. 28, 2002: Palin places a close second in the race for lieutenant governor, beat out by Loren Leman. Talk starts spreading about her potential nomination to then-governor Frank Murkowski’s vacated U.S. Senate seat.

Dec. 20, 2002: Murkowski appoints his daughter to his vacated Senate seat. Palin says she’s not disappointed.

Feb. 20, 2003: Murkowski taps Palin to head the Alaska Oil and Gas Commission at a time when the commission, especially in its dealings with natural gas, are at the forefront in state politics.

December 2004-January 2004: Palin touches off a firestorm after filing ethics complaints against Republican Party chair Randy Reudrich for doing party business on state time and passing information to lobbyists. In January, Palin resigns from the Oil and Gas Commission.

Oct. 10, 2005: Palin announces she intends to run for state office. Days later she files to run against Murkowski for governor.

Aug. 22, 2006: Palin defeats Murkowski and John Binkley in a hard-fought campaign for the Republican nomination. As she did in Wasilla, Palin runs on a platform of change and new ideas.

Nov. 8, 2006: Palin elected the state’s youngest governor in history and its first female governor, having defeated Democratic former governor Tony Knowles and Independent Andrew Halcro.

Aug. 29, 2008: Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain announces Palin is his choice for vice president on the general election ticket.

© 2008, The Wasilla Frontiersman.