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ANCHORAGE: In a surprise move, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin on Friday said she was stepping down and would not seek re-election, fueling swift speculation of a possible 2012 White House bid.
Palin, who was Republican John McCain's running mate in his failed 2008 presidential campaign, said she would step aside as governor and would be replaced by Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell at the end of July.
Palin, 45, told a press conference at her lakefront home in Wasilla, Alaska, that she wanted to "take a stand and effect change, not just hit our head against the wall and watch valuable state time and money, millions of your dollars, go down the drain."
A former sports journalist known as "Sarah Barracuda" when she played high school basketball, Palin said it was "time to pass the ball for victory."
In leaving her post before the end of her first term, Palin, the first woman to stand on a Republican presidential ticket, will be able to travel across the country more freely and build up a national political team, clearing the way for a potential presidential bid of her own. |
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