Pence endorses Sarah Huckabee Sanders for Arkansas governor

Former Vice President Mike Pence endorsed former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in her Arkansas gubernatorial bid on Monday. 

In a statement, Pence praised Sanders for her conservative values and pledged his “full support.” 

“Sarah Huckabee Sanders is a Christian, a conservative, and a proud Arkansan who will fight for the people of Arkansas, stand with law enforcement, promote lower taxes, champion school choice, and more,” the former vice president said. 

The development comes one day after former President Trump made a surprise appearance at Sanders’s campaign event on Sunday. 

“Great weekend on the campaign trail featuring a surprise appearance at one of my events by President Trump,” Sanders said in a tweet on Sunday evening, along with a photo of her and the former president.

Great weekend on the campaign trail featuring a surprise appearance at one of my events by President Trump! pic.twitter.com/mn81i9AbsU

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

Trump endorsed his former press secretary in January. 

“Sarah is strong on borders, tough on crime and fully supports the second amendment and our great law enforcement officers,” Trump said in a statement. “She loves our military and veterans — and her home state of Arkansas. She will be a GREAT Governor and she has my complete and total endorsement.”

Pence made news earlier this month when he criticized the 2020 election in his first extended comments since leaving in January. 

The former vice president was a target by many in the mob who violently breached the Capitol on Jan. 6 in response to the certification of the election results. Pence was present in the Capitol to oversee the certification process when the breach took place. 

The former vice president has not spoken publicly since he left office, but he is slated to keynote a dinner hosted by the Palmetto Family Council — a conservative Christian nonprofit group — in South Carolina next month.