When Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders makes an honest statement when asked about someday maybe running for president (“Certainly, you know, things cross your mind”), it’s worth a mention. 

Sanders made the comment in response to a direct question by Politico national reporter Jonathan Martin. She was the first interview subject in his new “On the Road with Jonathan Martin” series, where he is traveling the country talking to political types while enjoying local cuisine. They did the 40-minute interview at Wright’s Barbecue in Little Rock with a tempting plate of food sitting on the table in front of them.

Martin referenced a comment by one of Sanders’ friends that a Democrat probably will be elected president in 2028, but that Sanders will be out of office after the 2030 elections and her children will be grown. (“Almost,” she corrected.) In 2032, could she be a candidate?

In response, Sanders said, “I think in any job, especially one like that I have right now in public service, your goal, your focus has to be to do a really good job in the role that you have, and see what happens from there. So my focus is Arkansas and helping us move to the top and take it from that point.”

When Martin rephrased the question, Sanders replied, “Certainly, you know, things cross your mind,” but she added that she had never thought she would be the White House press secretary or even the governor despite growing up in a political family. 

Sanders’ political history

Which she did. She stuffed envelopes as a nine-year-old for her father’s 1992 U.S. Senate campaign, as reported by the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. She now lives in the same Governor’s Mansion where she grew up from ages 13 to 23 when her dad, former Gov. Mike Huckabee, led the state. In fact, the two are the first father and daughter to both serve as governors in American history. At 43, she is currently the nation’s youngest governor, and she is Arkansas’ first female governor. 

She was already a national celebrity before she became governor thanks to her stint as White House press secretary from 2017 to 2019 – famous enough, in fact, to have her own “character” on “Saturday Night Live.” 

Whatever her motivations, her time as governor has been marked by initiatives that would play well in a Republican presidential primary campaign. She’ll be able to tell Republican audiences that her LEARNS Act provided funding for all Arkansas students to attend a private school or be homeschooled. Her Protect Arkansas Act increased criminal penalties, the challenge being that she must build prison space to house offenders. Lawmakers under her watch passed legislation requiring companies with Chinese ties to sell their Arkansas farmland. She recently announced legislation banning foreign adversaries from buying land around military bases and electric substations. 

On Wednesday, she appeared alongside Erika Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA and the widow of assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Sanders signed a proclamation encouraging Arkansas high schools and colleges to start Turning Point USA chapters.

Sanders’ run would have precedent – including in her own family

If Sanders runs for president, she would be the third straight Arkansas Republican governor to give it a shot. Her father tried twice, winning the Iowa caucus and several other states, including Arkansas, in 2008 while never catching fire in 2016. Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson tried in 2024. Then there was the Democratic governor, Bill Clinton, who made it all the way to the White House.

Sanders won’t be the only political figure for whom a White House run would cross their mind. There are 49 other current governors, after all, and numerous recent ones.

And, of course, there’s an old saying that every senator looks in the mirror and sees a president. It’s not true. I doubt Sen. John Boozman is vying for the position. 

But Sen. Tom Cotton is also a national figure. He announced in the last election that he wasn’t running for president, which meant that he could have. And, like Sanders, he’s young – age 48, which is 31 years younger than the current president. Time is on his side, and Sanders’.

The 2028 and 2032 presidential elections will arrive soon enough. Could either or both of those races feature an Arkansan or two throwing her or his hat in the ring? 

The thought crosses your mind.

© 2026 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Steve Brawner’s column is syndicated to 21 outlets in Arkansas. Email him at brawnersteve@mac.com.