Two large players in the Republican party have made it official, they are not running for president.

Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey, announced Tuesday that he would not be seeking the GOP nomination.  Despite saying that he would not be running for president several times before, many in the media as well as the GOP believed that he would at least attempt to run for the office.

On Wednesday, Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin declared that she will not make a run for the White House in 2012. Palin supposedly revealed she would not run in a letter to supporters. Her announcement ends months of uncertainty about her campaign plans. 

Palin has been touring the U.S. for her “One Nation Tour,” in a bus with a huge Declaration of Independence painted on the side. While never an official campaigning tour, it made timely stops in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Washington D.C. leading many to believe that she would run.

Despite never being an official candidate, in a poll released Wednesday by Quinnipac University, Palin placed fourth among Republicans, with 9 percent of the vote. Rounding out the top three in the poll were, Mit Romney (22%), Herman Cain (17%), and Rick Perry (14%).

With Christie and Palin officially out, the Republican field remains at 8 candidates.