Sarah Sanders running for Arkansas governor: Source

Sarah Sanders, Donald Trump's former chief spokeswoman and one of his closest aides, is running for Arkansas governor, a senior campaign official told The Associated Press.

Sanders, who left the White House in 2019 to return to her home state, planned to announce her bid on Monday, according to the campaign official who spoke on Jan. 24 night on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly ahead of the formal announcement.

The former White House press secretary is launching her bid less than a week after the end of Trump's presidency and as the ex-president faces an impeachment trial. But Sanders is also running in a solidly red state where Republicans tend to embrace the former president.

The daughter of former Gov. Mike Huckabee, Sanders had been widely expected to run for the office after leaving the White House, and Trump publicly encouraged her to make a go. She's been laying the groundwork for a candidacy, speaking to GOP groups around the state.

Sanders joins an expensive Republican primary that already includes two statewide elected leaders, Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. The three are running to succeed current Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican who is unable to run next year due to term limits. No Democrats have announced a bid to run for the seat.

Sanders launched her bid weeks after a riot by Trump's supporters at the U.S. Capitol left five people dead. More than 130 people have been charged in the insurrection, which was aimed at halting the certification of President Joe Biden's win over Trump.

Sanders was the first working mother and only the third woman to serve as White House press secretary. But she also faced questions about her credibility during...