Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders sailed to a projected victory in Arkansas’s Republican gubernatorial primary on Tuesday.
NBC News and CNN both called the race for Sanders around 9 p.m. ET.
Sanders, who is the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), was long seen as the favorite to win the GOP primary, facing only one opponent in former radio host Francis “Doc” Washburn. A number of other GOP candidates, including state Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, who is running for lieutenant governor, dropped out of the primary.
Sanders’s victory can also be seen as a victory for former President Trump, who was quick to endorse her candidacy when she announced. Additionally, the former White House press secretary and political operative has proved to be a formidable fundraiser. She has brought in more than $12 million during her gubernatorial bid.
If Sanders wins November’s general election, she will make history as the first female governor of Arkansas.