We’ve been holding our breath here in Arkansas.

Those of us who are conservative political activists have wondered: Will our new governor, Sarah Sanders, be the real deal?

After all, a lot of us are Republicans, and disappointment is a way of life for us. All our guys and gals are quick to put out the platitudes, but they often don’t follow up.

Was Sanders’ stellar performance as President’s Trump’s press secretary just a reflection of professional competence?

Does she really believe the strong conservative things she said from the White House press podium on behalf of Trump and later in her campaign for governor?

I think we’re finding out.

The Bible on which Sanders placed her hand to take the oath of office Jan. 10 was still warm when she put forth a series of red meat conservative executive orders.

Right after the inauguration last week, Sanders issued an executive order banning critical race theory from Arkansas schools.

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She called for a review of previous executive orders, including jettisoning those related to COVID.

She ordered a reduction of state government rules and regulations, called for cutting of waste in unemployment insurance, enacted a state hiring freeze and ordered protection of technology from adversaries like China.

And she ordered that official state communication was not to use “culturally insensitive words,” like the artificial term “Latinx.”

And Monday she tweeted to Arkansans what could be a challenge to Joe Biden and the swamp creatures.

“As long as I am your governor, the meddling hand of big government creeping down from Washington DC will be stopped cold at the Mississippi River.”

As long as I am your governor, the meddling hand of big government creeping down from Washington DC will be stopped cold at the Mississippi River.

— Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) January 17, 2023

And this was just her first week in office!

I can sense fellow conservative activists letting out their breath regarding the new governor. And quietly exhaling a “wow!” along with it.

Sanders replaced term-limited Asa Hutchinson whose moderation produced frustration among a growing number of strong conservatives streaming into established and newly-formed Republican county committees in recent years.

The last Southern state to turn red, Arkansas has recently seen the GOP sweeping what are termed the constitutional offices of the state -- executive positions of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, land commissioner, state auditor and state treasurer -- for the first time since Reconstruction.

Republicans also recently built a supermajority in the legislature, which has resulted in substantial conservative legislation, including enactments causing Arkansas to be recognized as the most pro-life state.

Many of us see a hopeful future at the state level, and recent events in Virginia, South Dakota, Texas and especially Florida may be providing direction toward restoration of government of, by and for the people with less entanglement with the morass that is Washington, D.C.

We in Arkansas hopefully will soon be joining those other states in demonstrating how our republic should operate. And here’s hoping more states will soon be following and, in their own ways, taking leadership.

After all, are we not the United States of America?

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.