After a 27-Year Marriage Ended by Email, Sarah Palin Finds Love Again

Sarah Palin became impossible to ignore in 2008, when John McCain chose the then-little-known Alaska governor as his running mate. A “force of nature,” she combined folksy charm with scrappy underdog energy—but in the years since, headlines have tracked heartbreak as much as politics.

Born in Sandpoint, Idaho, and raised in Wasilla, Alaska, Palin thrived at Wasilla High, where basketball left a “life-changing” mark. It was there she met Todd, her future husband, at a game. In 1988, the high-school sweethearts eloped, recruiting two witnesses from a retirement home across the street because a big wedding was out of reach. Together, they built a bustling Alaskan life—raising five kids (Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, and Trig), running a commercial fishing business, and navigating the rugged rhythms of the Last Frontier.

Palin’s career soared as she reported the news and entered politics, becoming Alaska’s youngest—and first female—governor in 2006. Todd, the self-styled “First Dude,” kept things grounded, balancing parenting with snowmobile races and oil-field work while Palin faced national scrutiny, from McCain’s 2008 campaign to family challenges like Bristol’s teenage pregnancy.

From the outside, their marriage looked rock-solid. But in 2019, just after their 31st anniversary, Palin got a shock: Todd filed for divorce via attorney email. She described it as feeling like being “shot.” Todd cited incompatibility, while Palin wanted counseling and to preserve the marriage she valued. The divorce finalized on March 23, 2020, leaving emotional scars still raw today. Contact is minimal now, mostly coordinating care for their youngest, Trig. Todd has moved on, based in the Lower 48, while Palin found comfort in a longtime friend, former New York Rangers star Ron Duguay. A casual favor—showing her around New York—evolved into a relationship she calls “safe and comfortable.” Duguay has also supported her politically as she returned to public life, running for Alaska’s at-large congressional seat.