LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (AP) – Sarah Sanders, Donald Trump’s former chief spokesperson and one of his closest aides, is running for governor of Arkansas, a senior campaign official told the Associated Press.
Sanders, who left the White House in 2019 to return to his home state, planned to announce their offer on Monday, according to the campaign manager who spoke Sunday night on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak publicly before the formal announcement.
The former White House press secretary launches her candidacy less than a week after the end of Trump’s presidency and while the former president faces an indictment trial. But Sanders also runs in a solid red state where Republicans tend to hug the former president.
The daughter of former Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sanders had been widely expected to run for office after leaving the White House, and Trump publicly encouraged her to give it a try. He has been laying the groundwork for a candidacy and has spoken to Republican Party groups across the state.
Sanders joins expensive Republican primaries that already include two statewide elected leaders, Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. The three are running to succeed current Governor Asa Hutchinson, a Republican who is unable to run next year due to tenure limits. No Democrat has announced a candidacy to run for office.
Sanders launched his bid weeks after a riot of Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol left five people dead. More than 130 people have been charged in the uprising, which aimed to stop certification of President Joe Biden’s victory over Trump.
Sanders was the first working mother and only the third woman to serve as White House press secretary. But he also faced questions about his credibility during his time as Trump’s chief spokesman.
During his nearly two-year term as Trump’s chief spokesman, the daily briefings led by the press secretary ended after Sanders repeatedly quarreled with journalists who aggressively questioned him about administrative policy and the investigation of possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. But Sanders earned the respect of journalists working behind the scenes to develop relationships with the media.
Trump’s tumultuous exit from the presidency may do little harm to Sanders in Arkansas. Republicans occupy all state and federal seats in Arkansas, plus a solid majority in both houses of the legislature.
Griffin and Rutledge have raised more than $ 2.8 million in the race, which could increase even more. Republican State Sen. Jim Hendren, who is also Hutchinson’s nephew, is planning an escape.
Sanders, who published a book last year and joined Fox News as a contributor after leaving the White House, enters the race with a much higher profile than any of the candidates. But he remains unknown on many of the state’s most important issues and has said he doesn’t want to be distracted from Hutchinson’s agenda.