Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced on Friday that she was quitting at the end of the month, shocking Republicans across the country and leaving both parties uncertain about whether she was leaving national politics or laying the groundwork for a presidential run.

Palin, 45, the Republican vice-presidential nominee last year, was supposed to serve through the end of 2010. She said she would cede control of the state to Lt Gov Sean Parnell on July 26. Speaking outside her home in Wasilla, Palin offered conflicting signals about her intentions and her motivation.

In her tone and some of her words in an often-rambling announcement, she sounded like someone who was making a permanent exit from politics after what her friends have called a rough and dispiriting year.

But her remarks, delivered in a voice that often seemed rushed and jittery, sounded at times like those of a candidate with continued national aspirations, as when she suggested she could “fight for all our children’s future from outside the Governor’s office”.

Palin said that she had decided not to seek re-election when her term expires at the end of next year and that, given that, she did not think it was fair to her constituents to continue in office.

“As I thought about this announcement that I would not seek re-election,” she said. “I thought about how much fun other Governors have as lame ducks. They maybe travel around their state, travel to other states, maybe take their overseas international trade missions... I’m not going to put Alaskans through that,” she said.

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