WASHINGTON -- While former President Donald Trump is weighing in on the 2022 Arkansas governor's race, President Joe Biden is keeping his focus on other matters, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said this week.
"How high is the Arkansas Republican gubernatorial primary on the president's list of priorities? Not high," Psaki said during the afternoon news briefing Tuesday.
"I don't expect he will get involved in this race, but also politics is not front and center for his mind, in general, at this point in time. He's focused on getting the pandemic under control," she said.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump's press secretary from mid-2017 to mid-2019, declared her candidacy for governor in a video released Monday morning.
Monday evening, the 45th president released a statement in support of his former spokeswoman, that concluded: "Sarah will be a GREAT Governor, and she has my Complete and Total Endorsement!"
Trump had publicly urged Sanders, before her White House departure, to enter the race.
Though she holds Sanders' former job, Psaki made clear Tuesday that she won't be launching a similar campaign of her own.
"I can confirm for you I'm not running for governor of Connecticut in the future," she said Tuesday.
That state's current governor, Ned Lamont, voiced disappointment on Twitter, writing, "Tell her too bad because I would've voted for her!"
Since she announced her candidacy, Sanders has received the backing of at least two former Cabinet members.
Calling the former press secretary "a champion of truth to the American people in the White House," Sonny Perdue, a former Georgia governor and U.S. agriculture secretary, said Wednesday that he looks "forward to welcoming her to the club of Governors."
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday he is "all in to support her campaign."
Fox News' Sean Hannity and the president's son, Donald Trump Jr., have also offered their support.
While Biden may not be following the race, it's on the radar of Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison.
"As we close the book on a dark chapter in our history, we must make sure Trump's brand of politics stays in the past," he tweeted Monday.
Noting that Sanders is running on Trump's record, Harrison wrote: "This is why we need a 50 state strategy: To make sure Democrats everywhere have the resources to fight back."
Democratic Party of Arkansas Chairman Michael John Gray said the White House's focus is where it belongs.
"There'll be plenty of time for help from them, but right now they certainly have things to tend to," he said.
While not naming any potential candidates, Gray predicted "a robust primary for governor on the Democratic side in Arkansas."
"Jaime Harrison has pledged his support, and we're excited about his leadership at the DNC. We feel like we're going to be able to run one heck of a race," Gray said.
The daughter of former Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sanders is the third Republican candidate to enter the race, after Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.
Asked about the high-profile people backing Sanders, Griffin said, "Sarah is going to get a lot of endorsements from Washington. I'm proud that my endorsements are coming from Arkansas.
"This election is not going to happen in New York or DC -- it's going to happen in Arkansas," he said in a written statement.
Rutledge also downplayed Sanders' out-of-state support. "While we will all have endorsements from close family, friends and colleagues, my campaign is focused on my unmatched record of accomplishments as Attorney General for over six years combined with my vision to Make Arkansas First," she said in a written statement.