FACTBOX: The life of McCain VP pick Sarah Palin
(Reuters) - Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has upended the U.S. presidential race since John McCain plucked her from obscurity to be his running mate.
Here are some facts about the Alaska governor:
* McCain has surged in opinion polls since Palin joined the ticket, in large part thanks to a big shift among white women voters. She energized core Republicans with a convention speech last week that included a scathing attack on the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama.
* Palin, 44, was elected governor of Alaska in 2006 after calling attention to ethical violations by high-ranking Republicans in the state. As governor, she has spoken out against corruption, battled for funding from major oil producers and convinced the legislature to give a $1,200 "energy rebate" to nearly every state resident.
* Palin is under investigation by the state legislature to determine whether she fired a public safety commissioner after he declined to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palin's sister. Palin has hired a private lawyer in the probe.
* Palin has portrayed herself as a crusader against wasteful spending projects, such as a $400 million bridge that drew national ridicule. But she spoke favorably about the proposed bridge while running for governor and voiced opposition only after Congress killed its funding.
* A self-described "hockey mom," Palin has five children including a son born in April with Down Syndrome and an unmarried 17-year-old who is pregnant. She is favored by social conservatives because of her opposition to abortion, devout Christianity and lifetime membership in the National Rifle Association.
* Palin has clashed with environmentalists. She favors allowing hunters to shoot wolves from the air and expanded drilling for oil, while challenging a decision to list polar bears as a threatened species. She believes global warming is occurring but rejects the notion that human activities caused it.
* In 1984, Palin won the Miss Wasilla pageant, and finished second in the Miss Alaska pageant, at which she was named "Miss Congeniality.
(Compiled by Andy Sullivan and Patricia Zengerle; editing by Eric Beech)
