How the former Alaska governor rebuilt her life after 31 years of marriage ended unexpectedly

When Sarah Palin checked her email on a seemingly ordinary day in 2019, she never imagined the message waiting for her would shatter the life she’d known for more than three decades. The former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee discovered her husband of 31 years, Todd Palin, was filing for divorce—not through a conversation, not through counseling, but through a cold, impersonal email from his attorney.
“I felt like I got shot,” Palin later revealed in an emotional interview, describing the devastating moment when her world turned upside down. For someone who had weathered intense political campaigns, public scrutiny, and national attention, nothing prepared her for this personal earthquake.
The End of an Era
Todd Palin filed for divorce on September 6, 2019—coincidentally, on his own birthday, just days after the couple had celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary. The legal documents, filed in Anchorage Superior Court, cited “incompatibility of temperament between the parties such that they find it impossible to continue to live together as husband and wife.”
The Palins’ marriage had been a cornerstone of Sarah’s public image. They met as high school sweethearts in Wasilla, Alaska, eloped in 1988, and built a life together that included five children: Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, and Trig. Todd stood by Sarah’s side through her rise from small-town mayor to governor of Alaska, and ultimately to the national stage as John McCain’s running mate in the 2008 presidential election.
For years, they appeared to be the picture of Alaska resilience—Sarah, the political trailblazer, and Todd, affectionately known as Alaska’s “First Dude,” who balanced commercial fishing and oil field work while supporting his wife’s ambitions. But behind the public facade, their relationship had been quietly fracturing under pressures both public and private.
The Painful Reality of Public Divorce
The divorce proceedings were particularly difficult for Sarah, who later admitted she was blindsided by Todd’s decision. She had believed they were working through their issues with a counselor and thought reconciliation was possible. Instead, she found herself navigating one of life’s most painful experiences while the world watched.
“Attorneys are getting rich off of us,” Palin said candidly on Dr. James Dobson’s podcast. “I don’t like that whole system. It makes no sense to me.” Her frustration was palpable, not just with the legal process but with the emotional devastation that comes with the end of a long marriage.
The divorce was finalized in spring 2020, marking the official conclusion of a partnership that had begun when both were teenagers. For Sarah, it meant redefining her identity outside of a marriage that had been intertwined with every major milestone of her adult life.
Todd’s Life After Separation
While Sarah remained in the public eye, Todd Palin chose a different path. After the divorce, he retreated from the spotlight almost entirely, returning to the quieter life he’d always preferred. He continues to live in Alaska, dedicating his time to commercial fishing and snowmobile racing—two passions that defined him long before his wife became a household name.
Todd had already survived a life-threatening snowmobile accident in 2016 that left him with broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken shoulder blade, and a fractured clavicle. Friends noticed that after his recovery, he became even more private, gradually fading from public view. According to Sarah’s mentions in 2022, Todd was in a long-term relationship, though he has kept the details entirely private, maintaining the discretion that has characterized his post-divorce life.
Finding Love in Unexpected Places
As Sarah navigated the wreckage of her marriage, she initially couldn’t imagine dating again. The pain was too fresh, the wounds too deep. But life has a way of bringing unexpected connections when we least expect them.
Enter Ron Duguay, a former NHL legend who played for the New York Rangers and became known in the 1970s and 80s as much for his flashy playing style and flowing hair as for his skills on the ice. Duguay, now in his mid-60s, had his own complicated romantic history, including a marriage to Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kim Alexis that ended in 2016.
The connection between Palin and Duguay began as a friendship years earlier, rooted in their shared love of hockey. Their relationship rekindled in 2021 when Sarah reached out to Ron for advice during her defamation trial against The New York Times. What started as friendly support evolved into something deeper as they spent time together in New York City during the legal proceedings.
A Romance Confirmed
For months, rumors swirled about their relationship. The public got its first glimpse in February 2022 when the pair was photographed walking hand-in-hand through New York City’s Little Italy neighborhood. When asked directly by The Daily Beast if he was dating Sarah Palin, Duguay responded simply: “Hi. Yes.”
Sarah has been characteristically private about the details but has shared glimpses of her newfound happiness. “He’s my buddy. We have hockey in common,” she told Page Six in 2022, adding with a smile that Duguay is “the first person that I’ve ever even talked to about a lot of this personal stuff.”
In her conversations about Ron, Sarah revealed a softer side, describing how he makes her feel “safe and comfortable.” She’s also playfully noted his looks: “And he is really handsome.” More substantively, she appreciates that he shares her values, describing him as “more pro-America, more pro-freedom than a lot of people I know.”
Building a Life Together
The couple has largely kept their relationship out of the spotlight, but occasional glimpses reveal a partnership that’s deepening with time. In November 2024, both Sarah and Ron shared rare photos on their social media accounts showing them celebrating Thanksgiving together with Ron’s son Noah and his fiancée. Ron captioned his post, “They found us. Quiet family time. Our happy place,” while Sarah expressed gratitude for “home… and a place to go.”
In December 2023, the couple was spotted dancing together at a charity event, and by April 2025, they were photographed attending a New York Rangers game, with Ron even buying Sarah a new pair of Oxford high heels. These small moments paint a picture of a couple comfortable with each other, building a relationship away from the intense scrutiny that characterized Sarah’s previous public life.
Lessons in Resilience
Sarah Palin’s journey from devastating divorce to finding love again offers a powerful reminder that life’s most painful chapters don’t have to define us. Her experience resonates with anyone who has faced unexpected heartbreak, particularly those who discovered their partner wanted out without warning.
What makes Sarah’s story particularly compelling is her honesty about the pain. She hasn’t sugarcoated the experience or pretended the divorce was anything less than “earth-shattering.” She’s acknowledged the shock, the devastation, and the difficulty of rebuilding when you thought your foundation was solid.
Yet she’s also demonstrated remarkable resilience. Rather than letting bitterness consume her, Sarah has embraced new possibilities. She’s maintained relationships with her five children, stayed engaged in political commentary, and opened her heart to love again with someone who shares her values and interests.
Moving Forward
Today, both Sarah and Todd appear to have found peace in their separate lives. Todd continues his quiet existence in Alaska, spending time with his longtime girlfriend and avoiding the media attention that once followed him everywhere. Sarah, meanwhile, has balanced her public persona with her private relationship, finding happiness with Ron while continuing to make occasional political appearances and commentary.
Their story serves as a reminder that not all marriages are meant to last forever, even those that begin with genuine love and produce beautiful families. Sometimes, people simply grow apart. What matters is how we handle those transitions—with grace, honesty, and openness to what comes next.
For Sarah Palin, what came next was a chance to rediscover herself, to heal from profound hurt, and to experience love again with someone who appreciates her for who she is today, not just who she was during her political heyday. It’s a chapter she never expected to write, but one that’s proving to be surprisingly fulfilling.
As she approaches 60, Sarah Palin’s life looks different than she imagined it would when she married her high school sweetheart decades ago. But in the rubble of what ended, she’s found something authentic and real—proof that it’s never too late for a new beginning, and that sometimes the best chapters of our lives are the ones we never saw coming.