Last Updated on November 8, 2022
Former Trump White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is projected to win the Arkansas governor’s race. With her win over Democrat challenger Chris Jones, Huckabee Sanders is set to become the state’s first female governor. She will be replacing term-limited governor Asa Hutchinson, who has drawn the ire of conservative voters due to his veto of a bill that would have banned the chemical castration of children, as well as his COVID-19 response.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders served as White House Press Secretary from 2017 through 2019. Her father, Mike Huckabee, previously served as the state’s 44th governor.
While the state will be replacing one Republican with another, Sarah Huckabee Sanders is largely seen as an upgrade over Asa Hutchinson by conservative voters and the Trump base.
Hutchinson — who has served as the state’s governor since 2015 — drew intense criticism after vetoing a bill that would have banned child gender reassignment surgeries. Hutchinson told Tucker Carlson that he would have signed the bill if it was more limited, but he ultimately thought that it was too broad.
“Asa Hutchinson, the lightweight RINO Governor of Arkansas just vetoed a Bill that banned CHEMICAL CASTRATION OF CHILDREN. ‘Bye-bye Asa,’ that’s the end of him,” former President Trump wrote in a tweet at the time.
The state’s new governor-elect blasted Biden for President Biden and Democrats in her final pitch to voters Tuesday, accusing them of “destroying every single thing” they have touched.
BREAKING NEWS: Fox News Decision Desk projects Sarah Huckabee Sanders to win Arkansas governor's race. https://t.co/kYIb758TJP pic.twitter.com/MdOQ5hUvLZ
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 9, 2022
In other gubernatorial races, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis out-performed polls and cruised to victory against Democrat challenger Charlie Crist. Republicans have also held on to governorships in New Hampshire and Ohio, though some of the most competitive states such as Pennsylvania, Arizona and potentially New York, have not yet been decided.
