Former Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders to run for Arkansas governor

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, President Trump’s former chief spokeswoman and one of his closest aides, is running for Arkansas governor, a senior campaign official told the Associated Press.

Sanders, who left the White House in 2019 to return to her home state, plans to announce her bid Monday, according to the campaign official who spoke Sunday night on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly ahead of the formal announcement.

The former White House press secretary is launching her bid less than a week after the end of Trump’s presidency and as he faces a second impeachment trial. Sanders is running in a solidly red state where Republicans tend to embrace the former president.

The daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sanders had been widely expected to run for the office after leaving the White House — and Trump publicly encouraged her to do so. 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 Atty. Gen. Leslie Rutledge. The three are running to succeed current Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican who is unable to run next year because of term limits. No Democrats have announced a bid for the seat.

Sanders is launching her bid weeks after the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters intent on overturning the election of President Biden. More than 130 people have been charged in the insurrection.

Sanders was only the third woman, and the first mother of young children, to serve as White House press secretary. She faced questions about her credibility during her time as Trump’s chief spokeswoman.

During her nearly two-year tenure in the job, she ended daily televised briefings after repeatedly sparring with reporters who aggressively questioned her about Trump administration policy and the investigation into possible coordination between Trump’s campaign and Russia. But she also earned reporters’ respect for working behind the scenes to develop relationships with the media.

Trump’s tumultuous exit from the presidency may do little damage to Sanders in Arkansas. Republicans hold all of Arkansas’ statewide and federal seats, as well as a solid majority in both chambers of the Legislature.

Griffin and Rutledge have raised more than $2.8 million between them in the race to succeed Hutchinson, which could grow even more crowded. Republican state Sen. Jim Hendren, 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 her stance on many of the state’s biggest issues remains unknown. She has said she doesn’t want to distract from Hutchinson’s agenda.