Sarah Sanders raises $4.2M in Arkansas gubernatorial campaign

Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday that she raised $4.2 million during the second quarter in her bid to be the next governor of Arkansas.

Sanders, who was press secretary during the Trump administration, has raised more than $9 million since announcing her candidacy in January, according to her campaign, which said more than $3 million of that amount has come from Arkansas residents.

“I am thankful for the outpouring of support from all across our state,” Sanders said in a statement. “It’s clear Arkansans want a leader who will defend our freedom and stand up to the radical left, grow our economy and create jobs, and increase access to quality education and opportunity for a brighter, more prosperous future.”

Thank you for the outpouring of support from all across our state and country! pic.twitter.com/cvWsvnp6xV

— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) July 15, 2021

The fundraising haul comes as Sanders, who left the Trump administration in 2019, is running against state Attorney General Leslie Rutledge for the GOP nomination, according to The Associated Press.

Sanders and Rutledge are joined by four Democratic candidates running to succeed Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R), who is term limited.

If elected, Sanders would follow in the footsteps of her father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), who served from 1996 to 2007.