Tea Partyers Press Palin for Alaska Senate Run

A campaign by a leading tea party group is underway to convince former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to run for Senate, believing she's the GOP's best chance of unseating incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Begich in the midterm elections next year.

In an email message Friday, the Tea Party Leadership Fund asks supporters to make a donation toward the effort so as to convince Palin to throw her hat in the ring. This latest fundraising push is the culmination of work the group began months ago to build support for the former GOP vice presidential nominee, including a petition to draft Palin into the campaign.

"We have one last shot at pushing Sarah Palin over the top and into the race for Alaska's U.S. Senate seat," writes Todd Cefaratti, the group's Freedom Organizer. "Mark Begich just came out in support of expanding both Obamacare and a plan that will bankrupt Social Security. Once-and-for-all, let's convince Sarah to commit to run for Alaska's U.S. Senate seat and end the Democrats' wild spending spree before it's too late."

The group suggests that Palin is actively considering the run, citing an appearance she made on Sean Hannity's radio show in July during which she said, "I've considered it because people have requested me considering it," Politico reports.

The group is also attempting to capitalize on tea party opposition to establishment Republicans in Congress.

"The United States Senate rests just outside conservative control, and by electing more Tea Party Heroes to replace the establishment cronies from either party—you can be a tangible part of saving our nation from slipping into the vast sea of liberal socialism," Cefaratti writes.

"Now more than ever, we need another Tea Party Hero in the Senate to halt Harry Reid and his pals in their war against our Constitution on issues like amnesty, gun control, and our nation's crushing debt. With Sarah in the Senate, conservatives across America will rest easier at night knowing she's at the watch."

Palin has not signaled whether she intends to run, but during an appearance on Fox News in September at the height of the tea party effort to defund Obamacare, Palin flirted with the idea saying, "Ted Cruz and more of those good guys need some reinforcements in these midterm elections, to undo so much of what the Democrats are doing. I don’t know if it’ll be me."

Two Republicans already have announced challenges to Begich including Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell and Joe Miller.



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