Sarah Sanders Raises $1 Million in Four Days for Arkansas Governor Run

Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has raised $1 million in just four days in a bid to become the next governor of her home state Arkansas.

Sanders' campaign announced the fundraising haul on Thursday, just days after she made her political ambitions public in an eighht-minute video that touted her connection to former President Donald Trump.

"I'm grateful for the outpouring of support from Arkansans for my campaign – our message is powerfully resonating with people in every corner of our state. As governor, I will represent all Arkansans, defend our freedom and lead with heart," Sanders said.

Arkansas is a deep red state and no Democrats have announced an intention to run for governor so far.

Sanders will have to face Republican officials who are also vying for the gubernatorial nomination in 2022.

Lt. Governor Tim Griffin has raised $1.8 million since March and Attorney General Lesley Rutledge has brought in $1 million, according to 5News.

Governor Asa Hutchinson is barred from running again due to term limits. The Republican was elected to a second term in 2018 with more than 65 percent of the vote.

While Sanders has never held elected office, she has been closely involved in her father's political campaigns. Mike Huckabee was governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007 and mounted an unsuccessful campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. Sanders ran his 2016 campaign.

"As White House press secretary I never had to worry about the far left and their allies, CNN, the New York Times, defining me. Because I have a creator who has already done that," Sanders said in her campaign announcement video on Monday.

During her time at the White House, Sanders was frequently accused of making misleading statements to the press. Under questioning by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe, she admitted to making unfounded claims about FBI support for firing former director James Comey. She called it a "slip of the tongue" in "the heat of the moment."

Sanders framed her campaign as a fight against "socialism and cancel culture," saying: "Our freedom and the rule of law are under attack."

"We've seen violence in our streets, at a congressional baseball practice and at our Capitol," she said. "This is not who we are as Americans."

Whoever wins the Republican nomination for governor is almost guaranteed to win the election. Arkansas hasn't elected a Democrat to serve as governor since Mike Beebe in 2010 and all statewide offices are currently held by the GOP.