Sarah Huckabee Sanders Wins Arkansas Governor’s Race

Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is projected to win the Arkansas governorship, securing a post once held by her father and boosting her national profile as a top Republican.

Sanders defeated Democrat Chris Jones and libertarian candidate Ricky Dale Harrington in a race that was largely seen as hers to lose, given the state’s conservative bent.

As the chief spokesperson for former President Donald Trump between 2017 and 2019, Sanders aggressively promoted his attacks on targets like immigrants and former FBI director James Comey, frequently spread lies and helped Trump secure control of the GOP by slamming Republicans who questioned him.

She also frequently criticized journalists, ending the White House practice of regular press briefings, and fueled a Washington, D.C., controversy after the 2018 White House Correspondents Dinner, when comedian Michelle Wolf joked about Sanders, and some reporters jumped to her defense; a group of journalists later threw her a controversial farewell party.

She continued that approach in her gubernatorial campaign. Sanders dodged the local press, cast Democrats as captured by the “radical left,” and offered few detailed policy proposals while securing big donations from national conservatives.

Sanders is now the highest-profile former Trump aide to win elected office and will be the first female governor in Arkansas history.

Sanders benefited from support from Trump — who won Arkansas 62-35 in the 2020 presidential election — and her father, Mike Huckabee, a favorite of evangelical Christians who hold significant sway in Republican politics.

During the campaign, Sanders revealed that she was undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer. On Sept. 16, she said she was free of the disease.