LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Former White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders is running for Arkansas governor, a source told The Associated Press on Sunday night.
Sanders, who left the White House in 2019 to return to her home state, planned to announce her bid on Monday, a senior campaign official told the AP on condition of anonymity. The campaign official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. A formal announcement is expected Monday.
The daughter of former Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sanders had been widely expected to run for the office after leaving the White House — and Trump publicly encouraged her to make a go. She’s been laying the groundwork for a candidacy, speaking to GOP groups around the state.
Sanders joins an expensive Republican primary that already includes two statewide elected leaders, Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. The three are running to succeed the current Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican who is unable to run next year due to term limits. No Democrats have announced a bid to run for the seat.
Sanders launched her bid weeks after a riot by Trump’s supporters at the U.S. Capitol left five people dead. More than 130 people have been charged in the insurrection, which was aimed at halting the certification of President Joe Biden’s win over Trump.
Sanders was the first working mother and only the third woman to serve as White House press secretary. But she also faced questions about her credibility during her time as Trump’s chief spokesperson.
Griffin and Rutledge have combined raised more than $2.8 million in the race, which could get even more crowded. Republican state Sen. Jim Hendren, who is also a nephew of Hutchinson’s, is considering a run.
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 she remains an unknown on many of the state’s biggest issues and has said she doesn’t want to distract from Hutchinson’s agenda.
