One-time vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin said Wednesday she will not seek the Republican nomination for president in 2012.

The former Alaska governor announced her decision in a letter to supporters and in an interview with a conservative radio talk show host.

Palin rose to national prominence in the 2008 election as the running mate to Republican candidate John McCain. She has a strong following among certain conservative voters, and many were watching to see if she would try for the Republican nomination next year.

Her announcement came a day after New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie told reporters he will not run for president. This means it is quite likely the Republican candidate will be one of the people already campaigning.

A new poll Wednesday indicated that former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney leads that pool, and that he would have a slight advantage over President Barack Obama if the election were held now.

In the Quinnipiac poll, 22 percent of Republicans and those who lean Republican said they support Romney. Former pizza company executive Herman Cain came in second, with 17 percent support. And Rick Perry, the current governor of Texas and a one-time favorite, placed third in the poll, with 14 percent support — a 10 point drop in five weeks.

Eighteen percent of the Republicans and those who lean Republican polled did not express a preference for a presidential candidate.

The polling also shows that if the presidential election were held now, instead of November 2012, Romney would carry a slight 46-to-42 percent lead over President Obama.