Sarah Palin Was Devastated When Her 31-Year Marriage Ended by Email But Now She Has Finally Found Love Again

Sarah Palin was once impossible to miss — the little-known Alaska governor suddenly thrust into the national spotlight in 2008 when John McCain chose her as his running mate. For a while, she seemed unstoppable: confident, energetic, sharp-tongued, and unafraid to challenge anyone who underestimated her. But long before politics, before campaign buses and cameras, she was simply a young woman in Wasilla who fell in love with her high-school sweetheart, Todd Palin. Together they built a life rooted in rugged Alaska: five children, a fishing business, a big extended family, and a marriage that looked unshakable from the outside.

Their love story began simply. They eloped at a courthouse in 1988 because they couldn’t afford a wedding, borrowing two witnesses from a senior home across the street. Todd worked tough jobs — oil fields, commercial fishing, racing in the brutal Iron Dog snowmobile competition — while Sarah worked as a news reporter, then entered politics and became Alaska’s youngest governor. When McCain put her on the Republican ticket, Todd stepped up even more at home, shielding the kids as the country dissected their lives under an unforgiving spotlight. Through pregnancies, scandals, long winters, and national pressure, their marriage appeared to hold, strengthened by decades of partnership.

But behind closed doors, things were far more fragile. In 2019, just days after their 31st wedding anniversary, Sarah received an email from an attorney notifying her that Todd was filing for divorce. No warning. No conversation. Just an email. She later admitted the moment felt like being “shot.” She wanted counseling, reconciliation — a chance to fight for the covenant she believed marriage to be. Todd cited incompatibility. After months of emotional upheaval, their divorce was finalized on March 23, 2020. For Sarah, the heartbreak didn’t fade quickly. She said the shock still stings, even now, and that she and Todd keep communication limited to matters concerning their youngest son, Trig. Todd has since moved on with a partner living in the Lower 48, building a new life far from Wasilla.

For a long time, Sarah assumed love was behind her. But unexpectedly, someone familiar stepped into that empty space — former New York Rangers star Ron Duguay. What began as a friendly favor, with him showing her around New York during a visit, slowly turned into something deeper. She describes their relationship as “safe and comfortable,” a gentler kind of companionship after years of emotional bruising. Duguay has supported her not only personally but publicly, standing by her side as she re-entered politics and ran for Alaska’s at-large congressional seat.