On Sunday, Sarah Huckabee Sanders continued to fan speculation that she will use her former perch as White House press secretary to jump-start an Arkansas gubernatorial campaign.
While speaking at the conservative group Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit, Sanders was asked if she had set her sights on the governor’s office.
“I’m very seriously looking at it right now,” Sanders said. “My focus is on making sure we get the president re-elected first in 2020, and we’ll have plenty of time to focus on 2022 after that.” The Arkansas gubernatorial election will take place in 2022, when current governor Asa Hutchinson’s second term expires. Arkansas law prohibits governors from serving more than two terms after elections.
Sanders’ father Mike Huckabee was Arkansas governor from 1996 to 2006. Huckabee was promoted from lieutenant governor in 1996, and then elected in both 1998 and 2002.
“Do you think I could recruit some volunteers from this room to come to Arkansas if I run?” Sanders joked to studets at the Turning Point USA summit. “I love Arkansas, I love my home state, I am so happy to be back home, and we’ll see what happens, but certainly looking at that.”
Sanders served as White House press secretary from 2017 through June 2019. During her tenure, the White House ceased holding press briefings, and was repeatedly accused by members of the press and congressional Democrats of misleading reporters. The Mueller Report revealed that Sanders had misled reporters regarding the reason for President Trump’s firing of then-FBI director James Comey.
However, President Trump remains a major supporter of Sanders.
“She is a very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job!” Trump wrote on Twitter in advance of Sanders’ resignation. “I hope she decides to run for Governor of Arkansas – she would be fantastic. Sarah, thank you for a job well done!”