Arkansas AG Leslie Rutledge Drops Out of Gov Race Clearing the Way For Sarah Sanders to Take the GOP Nomination

With the writing on the wall, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge dropped out of the race for governor, clearing the way for Sarah Sanders to take the GOP nomination.

Recent poll numbers showed that Sanders had an “insurmountable” lead in the race as 73% of respondents said they were planning to vote for her.

Rutledge announced that she would instead run for the lieutenant governor’s position instead, entering a crowded field.

Sanders celebrated the news in a tweet where she tagged the AG and said, “I want to thank @LeslieRutledge for her leadership.”

“I look forward to uniting Arkansans behind my vision to grow our economy and create high-paying jobs, increase access to quality education, and deliver bold, conservative reforms that take our state to the top,” Sanders added.

Rutledge responded to Sanders and graciously told her in a quote tweet, “Thank you @SarahHuckabee! Look forward to working with you my friend!”

Thank you @SarahHuckabee! Look forward to working with you my friend! https://t.co/2zYE4vSAU0

— Leslie Rutledge (@LeslieRutledge) November 9, 2021

In a statement released by her campaign, Rutledge said of her decision, “At this crossroads in our country’s history, now is a time for Christian conservative leaders to unite and fight together against those who wish to destroy the America we know and love.”

In an endorsement of Sanders Rutledge stated that “she will stand strong against the onslaught of the liberal left’s attack on our home state.”

The Republican LG field is somewhat crowded, however, with former state GOP Chairman Doyle Webb, state Surgeon General Greg Bledsoe, businessman Chris Bequette, Washington County Judge Joseph Wood and State Sen. Jason Rapert all running.

Rutledge joins current LG Tim Griffin in clearing the way for Sanders, as Griffin was also running for governor originally but switched to running for Attorney General after she entered the race.

So it would be possible, theoretically, for the LG and the AG to essentially just switch spots. Current Governor Asa Hutchinson is term limited and a possible run for president in 2024 has been floated, but his anti-Trump stances would hamper any efforts to run for a Republican nomination.