She defeated Democratic nominee, Chris Jones, in the race for governor in her predominantly Republican home state, where former President Donald Trump remains popular.
Former White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, has emerged Arkansas governor.
Sanders was elected on Tuesday, becoming the first woman to lead the state and the highest profile Trump administration official in elected office, AP reports.
She defeated Democratic nominee, Chris Jones, in the race for governor in her predominantly Republican home state, where former President Donald Trump remains popular.
Heavily favoured to win the race, Sanders also contested the governorship with Libertarian nominee, Ricky Dale Harrington.
Sanders shattered state fundraising records with her campaign, which focused primarily on national issues.
The daughter of former Governor, Mike Huckabee, regularly promised to use the office to fight President Joe Biden and the “radical left.”
Sanders succeeds Republican Governor, Asa Hutchinson, who is leaving office in January due to term limits. Hutchinson, who endorsed Sanders’ bid, is considering running for president in 2024 and has frequently split with Trump.
Trump publicly encouraged Sanders to run for governor when she left the White House in 2019 to return to Arkansas.
But Sanders was a known figure in the state long before Trump. She appeared in ads for her father, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, and worked on his campaigns. She managed Sen. John Boozman’s 2010 election and worked as an adviser to Sen. Tom Cotton’s in 2014.
Sanders briefly left the campaign trail in September after undergoing surgery for thyroid cancer. Her doctor said Sanders was cancer free after the surgery.
During Sanders’ nearly two-year tenure at the White House, she scaled back daily televised briefings after repeatedly sparring with reporters who aggressively questioned her.
She faced questions about her credibility, particularly after special counsel Robert Mueller’s report revealed that Sanders admitted making an unfounded claim to reporters about FBI agents’ reaction to director James Comey’s firing. But she also earned reporters’ respect working behind the scenes to develop relationships with the media.
Sanders embraced Trump’s rhetoric during her bid for governor and adopted many of his favorite targets, including critical race theory and the national news media. But she’s avoided criticizing Hutchinson, even after the former president labeled Hutchinson a RINO — Republican In Name Only — for vetoing an anti-transgender law.