Sarah Palin says she’d serve in Don Young’s seat ‘in a heartbeat’

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) said that she would, if asked, fill the seat left vacant by the late Alaska Rep. Don Young (R) “in a heartbeat.”

“Think of those huge shoes that are to be filled when we consider Don Young’s longevity and his passion, his love, his fighting spirit for our wonderful state of Alaska and for the nation as a whole,” the former governor added. 

“If I were asked to serve in the House and take his place, I would be humbled and honored and I would. Yeah, in a heartbeat I would,” Palin told Newsmax in an interview, adding that “we’ll see how this process is going to go in terms of filling that seat but it would be an honor.” 

Young’s office announced on Friday that the lawmaker had “passed away today while traveling home to Alaska to be with the state and people that he loved.”

Following Young’s death, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on Monday that he will lie in state in the Capitol next week. 

Pelosi referred to the 88-year-old, who had served in the House since 1973, as “an institution in the hallowed halls of Congress” and “a serious legislator always bringing people together to do the people’s work.”

Palin recently made headlines after a libel lawsuit in which she sought to hold The New York Times responsible for publishing an editorial incorrectly linking Palin to a mass shooting. A judge ruled that the Times was not liable, but Palin’s legal team has said she plans to seek a new trial.