Sarah Huckabee Sanders facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Sanders in 2025
47th Governor of Arkansas
Incumbent
Assumed office January 10, 2023
Lieutenant	Leslie Rutledge
Preceded by	Asa Hutchinson
31st White House Press Secretary
In office July 26, 2017 – July 1, 2019
President	Donald Trump
Deputy	Raj Shah Hogan Gidley
Preceded by	Sean Spicer
Succeeded by	Stephanie Grisham
White House Deputy Press Secretary
In office January 20, 2017 – July 26, 2017
President	Donald Trump
Press Secretary	Sean Spicer
Preceded by	Eric Schultz
Succeeded by	Raj Shah
Personal details
Born	Sarah Elizabeth Huckabee (1982-08-13) August 13, 1982 (age 42) Hope, Arkansas, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Bryan Sanders ​ (m. 2010)​
Children	3
Parents	Mike Huckabee (father) Janet Huckabee (mother)
Residence	Governor's Mansion
Education	Ouachita Baptist University (BA)

Sarah Elizabeth Huckabee Sanders (born August 13, 1982) is an American politician. Since 2023, she has served as the 47th governor of Arkansas. She is the first woman to be governor of the state. Her father, Mike Huckabee, was also the governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007.

Before becoming governor, Sanders was the 31st White House Press Secretary for President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2019. As press secretary, she was the main spokesperson for the president. She was the third woman to ever hold this job.

Sanders also worked as a senior advisor on Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. In 2022, she won the election for governor of Arkansas, defeating Democratic nominee Chris Jones.

Early Life and Education

Sarah Elizabeth Huckabee was born in Hope, Arkansas. She is the youngest child and only daughter of Mike Huckabee and Janet Huckabee. She has two older brothers.

She grew up around politics. Her father said that when other kids were playing outside, Sarah was often at the kitchen table listening to political experts talk about polls.

After graduating from Little Rock Central High School, she went to Ouachita Baptist University. At college, she was elected student body president and was active in Republican groups. She graduated in 2004 with a degree in political science.

Early Political Career

Huckabee Sanders (center) with her father, Mike Huckabee, and U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings in 2005.

Sanders started helping with political campaigns when she was young. She helped with her father's first campaign for the United States Senate in 1992. She stuffed envelopes and put up yard signs.

She worked as a field coordinator for her father's successful campaign for governor in 2002. She also worked for President George W. Bush's reelection campaign in 2004.

Sanders was the national political director for her father's 2008 presidential campaign. She also advised other politicians, like Senator John Boozman and Senator Tom Cotton. In 2016, she became a senior adviser for Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

Working in the Trump Administration

Sanders in 2017 as the White House Deputy Press Secretary.

After Donald Trump won the 2016 election, he named Sanders the Deputy White House Press Secretary. Sometimes, she would fill in for the Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, at press briefings.

In July 2017, Sanders was promoted to White House Press Secretary. She was the first mother to ever hold this position.

Relationship with the Press

As press secretary, Sanders often had a difficult relationship with reporters. She accused the media of spreading "fake news" about President Trump.

During her time as press secretary, the White House held fewer official press briefings. By the time she left, it had been over 90 days since the last one.

Mueller Report Findings

In 2019, a report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller was released. The report looked into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The report said that Sanders had admitted to investigators that she made untrue statements during press briefings. For example, she had claimed that "countless" FBI agents told her they were unhappy with FBI Director James Comey. She later told investigators this was a "slip of the tongue" and "not founded on anything."

Sanders defended herself, saying she made the comments in "the heat of the moment."

Governor of Arkansas

Final results by county in 2022:

     Sarah Huckabee Sanders

     80–90%
     70–80%
     60–70%
     50–60%
     40–50%

     Chris Jones

     60–70%
     50–60%
     40–50%

On January 25, 2021, Sanders announced she was running for governor of Arkansas. Former President Trump endorsed her. She won the Republican primary and then defeated the Democratic nominee, Chris Jones, in the general election.

Sanders was sworn in as governor on January 10, 2023. On her first day, she signed an order banning the term Latinx in state government documents.

The LEARNS Act

In March 2023, Sanders signed a major education law called the LEARNS Act. The law made several big changes to Arkansas schools.

• Teacher Pay: It raised the minimum teacher salary from $36,000 to $50,000.
• School Choice: It created a program that gives families money to pay for private school or other education costs.
• Reading: It requires students to meet reading standards by the end of third grade to move on to fourth grade.
• Teaching Rules: It banned teaching certain ideas, like critical race theory, in schools.

The law received both praise and criticism. Some people worried it would take money away from public schools.

Spending and Public Information

In 2023, Sanders's office bought a lectern (a speaker's stand) for over $19,000. After news reporters asked for records about the purchase, the Republican Party paid the state back for it. The purchase was investigated by state auditors.

Later, Sanders signed a law that limits public access to some government records, including information about her security and travel.

Responding to Disasters

In March 2023, a tornado hit Arkansas. Sanders declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard to help with recovery.

In April 2024, she declared another state of emergency before a major solar eclipse. This was done to help the state manage the large number of tourists who came to see it.

Personal Life

Sanders is married to Bryan Sanders, whom she met during her father's 2008 presidential campaign. They have three children.

In September 2022, Sanders was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She had successful surgery to remove her thyroid gland and nearby lymph nodes.

Images for kids

• 

  Sanders with U.S. and Chinese leaders in Beijing, China, in November 2017.

• 

  Sanders with Ivanka Trump and U.S. athletes at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

• 

  Sanders with President Trump and others during a meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel in March 2019.

• 

  Sanders with President Trump at her last appearance as press secretary in June 2019.

Electoral history

See also

In Spanish: Sarah Huckabee Sanders para niños