Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the former Trump administration press secretary, will announce a run for Arkansas governor on Monday, according to multiple news reports.
NBC News, citing “two people familiar with her plans,” reported that Sanders will announce her candidacy for Arkansas Governor on Monday via video. The Associated Press has also reported her candidacy as imminent, citing a “senior campaign official.”
Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR), will be entering the field with high national name recognition and an expected polling edge over other Republican candidates, according to Washington Post journalist Josh Dawson, who first reported on the development in the Arkansas governor’s race.
NEWS: Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former press secretary for President Trump, will announce tomorrow that she’s running for governor of Arkansas. She’s seen as leader in the polls and the president’s preferred candidate in a GOP state. Expect video announcement of her bid. Yeah but I
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) January 25, 2021
Incumbent Governor Asa Hutchinson (R-AR) cannot seek re-election due to term limits. The Associated Press reports that Sanders will be joining a field that already contains two high-profile Republicans in the state, including Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.
From The Associated Press: “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.”
According to NBC News, Sanders has been “quietly planning for the bid for over a year.” She was the Trump administration’s third press secretary, having become a recognizable face in the administration over the nearly two years that she served in the public-facing position.
CNN reports that when she left the White House in July of 2019, then-President Donald Trump publicly encouraged her to run for Arkansas governor.
“She is a very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job,” said Trump. “I hope she decides to run for Governor of Arkansas — she would be fantastic.”