WASILLA, Alaska - October 5, 2011 - After months of speculation, ABC News’ Polson Kanneth has learned that former Alaska governor Sarah Palin will not run for President of the United States in 2012.

Palin made the announcement in a letter to supporters Wednesday night.

“After much prayer and serious consideration, I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for President of the United States,” she wrote. “As always, my family comes first and obviously Todd and I put great consideration into family life before making this decision.”

Many believed that Palin’s “One Nation” bus tour was a precursor to a potential White House bid for 2012. But Palin never made it to her scheduled stops in the key primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire, returning to her home in Alaska halfway through the high-profile tour.

While popular with the conservative base and Tea Party, Palin did not have support from some prominent Republican strategists.

Palin said she would help elect other true public servants to office, and “actively and aggressively” aid those fighting against the “fundamental transformation” of our nation.

“In the coming weeks I will help coordinate strategies to assist in replacing the (illegitimate) president, re-taking the Senate, and maintaining the House,” she wrote.

In late September, Palin said she worried that running for president might “shackle” someone like her, because she was “a maverick”.