Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin today first announced she will not seek a second term and then added that she will resign her post later this month, further fueling speculation she is preparing to run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
"Once I decided not to run for re-election, I also felt that to embrace the conventional 'lame duck' status in this particular climate would just be another dose of 'politics as usual,' something I campaigned against and will always oppose," she said.
Palin, who was thrust into the national spotlight last year when she was tapped by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to be his vice presidential running mate, said Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will be inaugurated in Fairbanks at the end of the annual Governor's Picnic July 26.
"I look forward to helping others - to fight for our state and our country, and campaign for those who believe in smaller government, free enterprise, strong national security, support for our troops, and energy independence," she said.
Palin promised a smooth transition for Parnell, who narrowly lost a primary challenge against longtime GOP Rep. Don Young last September.
"My choice is to take a stand and effect change and not just hit our head against the wall," Palin said. "We know we can effect positive change outside government at this moment in time."
Palin, who was flanked by Parnell and her family on the lawn of her Wasilla home, said her decision has been in the works for awhile and was the result of "much prayer and consideration."
She said she polled her children and their vote was unanimous. An avid sports fan, the self-described hockey mom used a basketball analogy to vaguely justify her decision. "I know when it's time to pass the ball for victory."
Palin also cited the toll of continuing ethics investigations on her administration and her personal finances.
"Political operatives descended on Alaska last August, digging for dirt. The ethics law that I championed became their weapon of choice. Over the past nine months, I've been accused of all sorts of frivolous ethics violations ... all 15 of the ethics complaints have been dismissed. We have won, but it hasn't been cheap," she said. "Todd and I, we're looking at more than half a million dollars in legal bills just in order to set the record straight."
While some believe Palin is preparing to run for president in 2012, Alaska Democratic Party Chairwoman Patti Higgins argued that at least part of the answer behind her decision could lie in those investigations, which have resulted in a flurry of ethics complaints and requests for e-mail disclosures under the state's public records law.
"Alaskans are outraged but not surprised that Governor Palin is abandoning her obligations to our state," Higgins said, noting the move comes at a critical time when the state is trying to secure a major gas pipeline and struggling with rising unemployment.
A spokeswoman for Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, said her boss met with Palin Wednesday at her Anchorage office where they discussed missile defense, climate change, and transportation -- but she did not mention her resignation plans.
"I'm as surprised as all Alaskans by Governor Palin's decision to step down with nearly two years left in her term. There was speculation she would not seek re-election, but she gave no indication of a resignation when I met with her for 45 minutes in her Anchorage office two days ago," Begich said in a statement.
Noting that incoming Gov. Parnell and his wife chaired his 1988 campaign for the Anchorage Assembly, Begich said he looks forward to working with him "to accomplish the business of our state."
In a brief statement, GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she was "deeply disappointed that the governor has decided to abandon the state and her constituents before her term has concluded."
That statement noted Murkowski was in the interior of Alaska and not available for follow-up questions but would be available to reporters Monday afternoon.
Palin became governor in 2006 by defeating GOP. Gov. Frank Murkowski, who served 22 years in the Senate before returning to the state to run for governor and who named his daughter to replace him in the Senate.
Meanwhile, Democrat Ethan Berkowitz, who got 44 percent of the vote while challenging Young last year, repeated that he is "seriously considering" running for governor.
"Alaska is the greatest state in the nation, but we are also a state in need of a new vision and new ideas. I'm not alone in questioning whether Sean Parnell can provide that strong leadership," he said.
Republican Governors Association Executive Director Nick Ayers said his group was saddened by the news of Palin's resignation but is confident the state will elect a Republican next year.
A statement from the Alaskan Republican Party said Palin's decision means there will be a vigorous face for the party's nomination next year.
"Alaska has an impressive cadre of conservative candidates we are confident will vie for the office of governor and the party stands ready to fully support which ever conservative candidate our members choose to represent them in the general election," the statement said.
While the statement said it has no knowledge that Palin will run for national office, "There needs to be a strong challenge to President Obama's attack on Alaskan values waged by his administration since taking office six months ago. If that challenge comes from Gov. Palin the party ready to support her, as all Alaskans should."
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