Sarah Huckabee Sanders raises over $11 million for Arkansas gubernatorial run

Arkansas Republican and Trump administration alumna Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Thursday that she’s raised $11 million for her gubernatorial bid since launching her campaign in January.

Sanders’s campaign said in a statement that it had raised more than $2.1 million in the third quarter of 2021 and finished September with more than $7 million in the bank. Of the $11 million raised so far, $3.7 million has come from Arkansans, underscoring her national appeal stemming from her time as White House press secretary under former President Trump.

“I am grateful for the overwhelming support I have received from every county in our state and every state in our nation,” Sanders said. “Now more than ever, Arkansas needs a real leader who will take our state to the top with bold reforms, lower taxes, and higher paying jobs to unleash our full potential.”

Sanders is the early favorite to replace term-limited Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R). Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge is her only GOP primary rival.

Sanders is running with Trump’s endorsement and will likely tap into a deep well of support from his base. She was seen as a loyal supporter of him during her time in the White House, often sparring with journalists from the briefing room podium while defending the administration.

Though Arkansas has a long history of electing Democratic governors, the state has lurched to the right in recent years, making the victor in the GOP primary the overwhelming favorite to win next year’s general election.