The state of Arkansas is located in Little Rock. After running a campaign heavily focused on national politics and her time as President Donald Trump's spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee said she wants to keep her attention on Arkansas as she takes charge as the state's 47th governor.
She will become the first woman governor of Arkansas. Mike Huckabee held the post for more than 10 years.
The best-known former Trump official to assume elected office is Huckabee, who was the White House press secretary. The 40-year-old Republican has largely avoided commenting on the former president who endorsed her bid and appeared prominently in her campaign materials.
In an interview with The Associated Press last week, she said that her focus was on Arkansas, where she will be sworn in on January 10.
She embraces legislative priorities that include changing the state's education system, cutting income taxes and adopting new public safety measures.
The University of Arkansas political science professor said that she has national ambitions. She will need to show some capacity for governance in order to fulfill those.
The influence of Trump in the GOP seems to be waning. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson thinks that Donald Trump winning the Republican nomination would be bad for the party.
She believes the country would be better off if Trump were in office.
Most governors dream of an environment like that. Arkansas has more than $2 billion in reserve funds and Republicans expanded their majority in the Legislature.
The first bill that she wants the Legislature to pass is an education reform measure that would give teachers a pay raise.
The House and Senate have recommended thousands of dollars in teacher raises. Over the next two years, Hutchinson recommended an increase in education funding due to teacher raises.
She supports the idea of allowing state money to be used for private schools or for home-schooling. She said that parents should be able to decide where their children go to school.
Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis is a potential presidential contender. Jacob Oliva is a top school official in Florida.
A Florida law forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third graders. The "Don't Say Gay" law has been dubbed the "Don't Say Lesbian" law by critics because they say it marginalizes the gay community.
She did not have a specific amount of a cut she would push for this year, but she hopes to fulfill her promise to phase out the state income tax. Several income tax cuts have been signed by Hutchinson.
A new prison and a "truth in sentencing" law are supported by the incoming governor.
Despite a federal judge blocking a work requirement, she wants to look at it.
She wants to examine Medicaid expansion's costs and viability. She said that her goal was not to take assistance away from the people who needed it, but to not bankrupt the state.
Arkansas will have a governor with no experience in elected office for the first time in over four decades. Since the 1980's, Hutchinson has been a fixture in Arkansas politics.
Uncertainty exists in the Legislature. Democrats who have shrunk in the Legislature are wary but open minded.
The leader of the House's minority party said that they know the rhetoric of the administration. All of that is known by us. We don't know how she's going to rule.
Some Republicans who clashed with Hutchinson in his final years in office think the lack of elected experience is a good thing.
Hester said the main difference was the fresh perspective. I feel like he's coming in without any strings attached.
She asked for advice from her father and other people.
"I don't know how to be anything other than involved and hands on in whatever I'm doing."
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