Sarah Huckabee Sanders.Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Sarah Huckabee Sandersis the 47th governor of Arkansas — and the state’s first female governor.
In Tuesday’smidterm elections, the Republican and former White House press secretary, 40, prevailed in the gubernatorial race against Democrat Chris Jones and Libertarian Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. The Associated Press called the race for Sanders on Tuesday evening.
Sanders will take the reins from fellow RepublicanAsa Hutchinson, and her victory comes after her fatherMike Huckabeeserved as the state’s 44th governor from 1996 to 2007.
Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
After serving asDonald Trump’s press secretary from 2017 to 2019 andlaunching her gubernatorial campaignlast January, Sanders quicklybroke a state fundraising record, bringing in $4.8 million for her campaign in the first quarter of her candidacy.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“We’ve seen violence in our streets, at a congressional baseball practice and at our Capitol,” Sanders said in her announcement video. “This is not who we are as Americans. To remain free, we must have law and order.”
Sarah Huckabee Sanders and President Donald Trump in 2019.Joe Raedle/Getty
She also took aim at “cancel culture,” which she said would “only further divide and destroy us.”
“Everything we love about America is at stake, and with the radical left now in control of Washington, your governor is your last line of defense,” Sanders said. “In fact, your governor must be on the front line. So today, I announced my candidacy for governor of Arkansas, and ask for your prayers and support.”
RELATED VIDEO: People Are Sharing a 2016 Sarah Huckabee Sanders Tweet After FBI Searches Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Resort
In June 2020, Trump, 76, tweeted that Sanders “is a very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job! I hope she decides to run for Governor of Arkansas — she would be fantastic.”
Between Sanders' gig as press secretary and her newly-elected position, sheworked for Fox Newsas an on-air contributor in 2019.
source: people.com
