Arkansas governor backs Sarah Huckabee Sanders to replace him

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) on Friday endorsed former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders as his successor, saying that his state “will be in good hands” under her leadership.

“I’ve known Sarah Huckabee Sanders most of her life and know firsthand her love for our state and her heart for public service,” Hutchinson said in a statement. “Sarah has earned the Republican nomination and I’m delighted today to endorse her for Governor.”

Hutchinson’s endorsement came two days after Sanders’s only primary opponent, state Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, dropped out of the race, clearing the path for Sanders to clinch the GOP nomination. Rutledge endorsed Sanders after ending her own campaign.

Hutchinson, who was first elected governor in 2014, is term limited and cannot seek reelection in 2022.

The current Arkansas governor is the latest high-profile Republican to publicly back Sanders’s campaign. Earlier this week, the state’s two GOP senators, Tom Cotton and John Boozman, threw their support behind her gubernatorial bid.

Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), served for two years as former President Trump’s White House press secretary, and has maintained a close alliance with him ever since. Trump endorsed her bid for governor in January. 

In a statement on Friday, Sanders thanked Hutchinson for his endorsement, pledging to follow his lead on tax policy.

“I am thankful for his leadership lowering taxes and laying the foundation for future growth and prosperity,” she said. “As governor, I will continue to his work to lower and phase out the state income tax and unleash bold, conservative reforms that will create opportunity for all Arkansans.”