Now, nearly two years after being sworn in as the state's first female governor, Sarah Palin returned Wednesday to Fairbanks - this time as John McCain's running mate.
She arrived to find supporters jammed in an aircraft hangar, there to see Palin's first appearance in Alaska since McCain named her to the national ticket Aug. 29.
A crowd, estimated by the organizers, the Alaska Republican Party, at 3,000 went wild when Palin entered the room, shouting: "Sarah! Palin!"

Palin told the crowd: "John McCain and I are ready, and with your help, we are going to win."
The GOP vice presidential nominee received the loudest bursts of applause by promising to push for drilling in her oil-rich state.

Sarah Palin is getting a lot of love from her home state.
"I think she's just awesome," says Fairbankian Frank Turney, "and I think that's what we need in Washington D.C. to kick butt down there. What she did here in this state, she uncovered a lot of corruption. She took on the good old boys and I think she can do that in Washington D.C."
Palin supporter Bernie Karl says this is a good homecoming, adding, "This is better than Ronald Reagan had -- I was here then. This is better than the pope had!"

The governor will attend a deployment ceremony on Fort Wainwright Thursday -- her son 'track' is heading to iraq with the Stryker brigade.