Press secretary Sarah Sanders seems to be in an enviable position as she leaves the White House for a possible run for governor in her home state of Arkansas. She has the tacit endorsement of a president popular in the state and political connections that go back to her dad Mike Huckabee's more than 10 years as governor.
Since her departure was announced this month, Sanders hasn't ruled out the possibility of a run for public office when she returns to Arkansas later this summer. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who was reelected last year, is barred by term limits from running again in 2022.
Other White House officials who left have remained in the public eye by writing books and hitting the lecture circuit, but none has made a high-profile run for office. A Sanders candidacy could test whether President Donald Trump and questions about his administration's credibility are political liabilities, even in solidly Republican states.
Trump has openly teased the prospect of Sanders running.
"I have a feeling she's going to be running for a certain gubernatorial position," Trump said at a rally in Florida kicking off his reelection campaign last week. "She'd be tough, right?"
Sanders became a household name over the past two years through her sparring with reporters who aggressively questioned her about any number of controversies involving the president. She was regularly skewered by late night hosts and "Saturday Night Live," which portrayed her as a dishonest loyalist to Trump with an exaggerated southern drawl.
Sanders was already a known quantity in Arkansas before her time in Washington. She appeared in ads for her father's campaign for governor, managed Sen. John Boozman's 2010 election and worked as an adviser to Sen. Tom Cotton's in 2014.
"I've told Sarah, it used to be you were known by your dad," said former state Rep. Jonathan Barnett, a member of the Republican National Committee for the state and a longtime friend of the Huckabees. "Now your dad is known by you."
Political observers in Arkansas see little downside in Sanders' connections to Trump, who easily won the state in 2016 and whose approval rating here remains above his national figures. Once a reliably Democratic state, Arkansas is now dominated by Republicans. The GOP controls both chambers of the legislature, all partisan statewide offices and every seat in its congressional delegation.
"In terms of a liftoff, in terms of launch, in terms of a game plan, she got major support from a president that's extremely popular in Arkansas," said Skip Rutherford, dean of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, located next to the former president's library. "Among the base — and that base for President Trump seems to be growing in Arkansas — her nature to take on the national media is a plus for her politically right now."
But three years is a long time and a presidential election away. There's no guarantee Trump will remain as popular in Arkansas, or even be in office, when and if Sanders makes a bid.
"Three years from now, if the perceptions of Trump have gone south and those are tied to scandals and untruths, then the fact she was the voice of some of that could be damaging," said Jay Barth, a political science professor at Hendrix College. Yet, "even if he's no longer president, that doesn't mean he still wouldn't be beloved by a lot of Republican voters."
Democrats are already relishing the idea of a Sanders run, saying it would bring national money and attention to a race that may otherwise be written off.
Republicans caution that it's not a given Sanders would win the GOP's nomination. Her potential rivals are some of the party's top figures who have built up their own network of supporters and donors. Among them are Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin, a former congressman who worked in the George W. Bush White House, and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, who worked for the Republican National Committee. Another potential candidate is state Senate President Jim Hendren, who is also Hutchinson's nephew.
Bill Vickery, a political strategist in the state, said he wouldn't be surprised to see just as much outside money come into the state supporting Sanders' rivals in a GOP primary.
"She will have 10 times the amount of money needed to win," he said. "That same amount will be spent to defeat her. We will be awash in money."
Follow Andrew DeMillo on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ademillo
PHOENIX (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jake Cronenworth hit back-to-back homers, Dylan Cease pitched 6 2/3 strong innings and the San Diego Padres won their third game in a row, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-1 on Friday night.
Manny Machado hit a two-run homer. Cronenworth finished with three extra-base hits, adding two doubles.
The Padres had a big offensive game on the same night they learned they might be adding another good hitter. San Diego is close to acquiring two-time batting champion Luis Arráez in a deal with the Marlins.
“I think it's great — you're always looking for more offense and a left-handed bat to balance out the lineup,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “But listen, nothing's official. We'll leave it at that.”
The Diamondbacks have lost 10 straight series openers after beating the Colorado Rockies on opening day.
D-backs pitcher Slade Cecconi (1-2) retired the first nine batters he faced, but ran into trouble in the fourth. Jurickson Profar walked to start the inning and Tatis launched a shot to left-center — his seventh homer of the season.
Cronenworth followed with another homer to make it 3-0 and rookie Jackson Merrill broke an 0-for-20 stretch at the plate with a one-out RBI double for a 4-0 lead.
Cronenworth had a down 2023 season, but has looked much more like the hitter who was an All-Star in 2021 and 2022 through the first month of this season. He's batting .279 with six homers and 25 RBIs.
It was Cronenworth’s second straight game with a homer. He hit a grand slam in the team’s 6-2 victory over the Reds on Wednesday.
“It's the right approach with the right swing,” Shildt said. “He's married both. He's driving the ball to all different parts of the field and not trying to do to much.”
Cecconi didn't make it out of the fifth, giving up six runs over 4 1/3 innings.
The Padres' three-homer outburst provided plenty of support for Cease (4-2), the hard-throwing right-hander who gave up just one run on three hits while striking out eight. He didn't allow a walk.
“I think my fastball command was a lot better, which is really a lot of the battle,” Cease said. “When I'm getting my fastball where it needs to go, it opens up a lot of stuff.”
Machado made it 7-0 in the fifth with a two-run homer to left center off reliever Matt Bowman. The scorched line drive came off Machado's bat at 111.7 mph.
The sliding D-backs — defending National League champions — have lost 10 of their past 15 games and fell to 14-19 for the season.
“We got beat tonight,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "We got out-managed, we got out-pitched, we got out-hit, we got out-coached. We've got to find a way to get the job done and play our type of baseball. That's the bottom line.
“We're grinding away. We're trying.”
Arizona finished with just three hits. Eugenio Suárez had an RBI single in the fifth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Diamondbacks: Lovullo told reporters that closer Paul Sewald (oblique) and OF Alex Thomas (hamstring) could return to the active roster as soon as Tuesday against the Reds.
UP NEXT
The D-backs will throw RHP Brandon Pfaadt (1-1, 4.63 ERA) while the Padres will counter with RHP Michael King (2-3, 5.00 ERA) on Saturday night.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, left, celebrates his double as San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, front right, of South Korea, and umpire Phil Cuzzi (10) look for the baseball during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt watches the action on the field during the second inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
San Diego Padres' Manny Machado (13) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run as Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker, left, pauses at first base during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Matt Bowman, center, rubs up a new baseball after giving up a two-run home run to San Diego Padres' Manny Machado, left, during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
San Diego Padres' Manny Machado points to the sky as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte, right, slides safely into second base with a double as San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, of South Korea, applies a late tag during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr., right, celebrates his two-run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Padres' Manny Machado (13) during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, May 3, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
