Alaska Governor Sarah Palin speaks during the Republican Governors Association Annual Conference in Miami, Florida yesterday. - AP

MIAMI, Florida (AP):

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is trying to dampen speculation about a 2012 presidential run. She says the Republican Party and its leaders need to focus on governors' races in 2010.

A day after sending signals about her interest in running for the White House, the vice-presidential nominee on Senator John McCain's ticket delivered a different message Thursday, joined by her peers attending the Republican Governors Association conference.

Presidential race

"I, like all of our governors, we're focused on the future. The future for us is not the 2012 presidential race. It's next year and our next budget, and the next reforms in our states, and in 2010 we're going to have 36 governors' positions open across the United States. That's what we're focused on," Palin said.