Palin has a reputation as a maverick

Palin, who describes herself as an "American Thatcher" in reference to the former British prime minister, has a reputation as a maverick reformer rather than a traditional Republican.

She cut her political teeth as mayor of the small town of Wasilla, Alaska from 1996-2002.

And while she has no national or international political experience, she has made headlines by pushing for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The mother-of-five is also a loyal member of the National Rifle Association who enjoys hunting and supports the construction of a pipeline to move natural gas across the state.

She has also angered environmentalists further by opposing the listing of the polar bear as an endangered species.

Conservative appeal

Palin beat Frank Murkowski, the state's Republican incumbent governor, in a primary poll two years ago, despite having little money and little backing from the political establishment.

She has also distanced herself from two senior Republican politicians in Alaska, Ted Stevens and Don Young, who are both undergoing federal corruption investigations.

But her anti-corruption reputation has been questioned after an investigation was recently launched by a legislative panel into whether she dismissed Alaska's public safety commissioner because he would not fire her former brother-in-law from the state police.

The governor, who studied journalism and is a former sports television reporter, will also help attract conservative support for McCain's campaign and she remains strongly opposed to abortion.

She is married to Todd Palin, a part-Eskimo former commercial fisherman who now works in Alaska's oil fields and who is a four-time winner of the daunting Alaska Iron Dog snowmobile competition.

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