LITTLE ROCK — 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 run. 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 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.
More details in Monday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.