1/26/21
Sarah Sanders made a lot of news defending President Donald Trump as White House press secretary during the first few years of his administration. On Monday, she made news in her own right by declaring her candidacy for governor of Arkansas. Win or lose, her bid tells us a lot about where the Republican Party stands today. Sanders is a viable candidate only because of her role with Trump. Only 38 years old, she was a political consultant to numerous Republican campaigns before she joined the Trump White House. She has never run for office, and she has never served in government in a policy-related role. Even though she is the daughter of former governor and two-time presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, she would have been considered a long shot had she not held a nationally prominent role serving Trump. That fact shows how important Trump’s backing is for many in today’s GOP. Trump has already endorsed her, touting her support for “borders,” law and order, and the Second Amendment. Even though she is running against two Republicans elected to statewide office, Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, Sanders is considered the one to beat because of her national prominence. Sanders’s announcement video also shows where Republican voters stand today. The video could have been made for any federal office.
It focuses on national issues and contends that the “radical far left” threatens American freedom with its “socialism” and “cancel culture.” She thus turns her pugnacious stint as press secretary into the premier qualification for governor. Fighting against the left, not fighting for anything in particular, is what Republican voters want most. Trump looks strong among Republican voters now, but that might not be the case on May 24, 2022, when the primary is scheduled to take place. The looming impeachment trial is an obvious potential game-changer, but Trump also faces state-level investigations that might uncover damaging evidence and change many Republican voters’ views. Griffin and Rutledge also come with their own strengths from their prior electoral histories. Griffin served for four years as a congressman in a seat based in Little Rock before he became lieutenant governor. This means his television ads have already aired in the city’s media market, which covers the vast majority of Arkansas homes. The top two candidates will go on to face off in a runoff, requiring the winner to get a majority of the vote to prevail. That might not be a Trump-backed candidate by next May. Trump-favored candidates will contest many Republican primary races in 2022 as they battle for control of the GOP. Sanders’s candidacy immediately makes Arkansas ground zero in that confrontation.
