At retreat, GOP governors urge Sarah Sanders to run in Arkansas
Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders' attendance at an exclusive GOP retreat in Aspen, Colorado, this week has revved up speculation among many party operatives that she is preparing for a run for governor of Arkansas in 2022.
On Sunday night, Sanders was an invited guest at a fundraising dinner as part of the Republican Governors Association (RGA) two-day retreat. The dinner, hosted by the GOP mega-donor Malek family, served as the starting point of the closed-press gathering. Sanders received a "lot of support and encouragement" to run for the position from at least four current Republican governors at the dinner, as well as major RGA donors, a Republican source with direct knowledge of her visit told CBS News.
Sanders' attendance at the dinner was first reported by Politico.
Sanders, the daughter of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, held the job of press secretary in the Trump White House for two years before leaving on good terms in June.
"I hope she decides to run for Governor of Arkansas - she would be fantastic. Sarah, thank you for a job well done!" the president tweeted last month after announcing that Sanders was stepping down to go back to her native Arkansas.
Sanders is still not expected to make a formal decision about a run for at least two years. Sanders told CBS News in July that she was looking forward to spending time with her three young children and her husband.