Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has promoted Sam Dubke — who previously served as deputy communications director and speechwriter in the governor’s office — to communications director, the governor announced Monday.

The governor’s previous communications director, Alexa Henning, departed the governor’s office in mid-August to work as senior vice president for P2 Public Affairs of Washington, D.C.

“Sam is an efficient and effective communicator who has been alongside me since I first entered office,” Sanders said in a news release.

“He brings political and public sector experience and, in his new role, he’ll lead a talented team and continue to help me communicate my bold, conservative agenda to Arkansans across the state,” the Republican governor said.

Dubke said his salary is $115,000 a year as the communications director. His salary previously was $101,969 a year, according to the Arkansas Transparency website.

Asked whether a deputy communications director has been named yet, Dubke said in a written statement, “No additional personnel announcements at this time.”

Dubke joined the governor’s staff as deputy communications director and speechwriter in February 2023, according to the governor’s office.

According to LegiStorm, Dubke was speechwriter and communications adviser for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., from December 2022-January 2023, speech writer for McConnell from June 2021-December 2022, and a press assistant for Glenn Youngkin’s gubernatorial campaign in Virginia from February 2021-June 2021.

He was a press assistant for President Trump’s presidential campaign from February 2020-December 2020, an intern for the Trump campaign from September 2019-February 2020, and an intern in the White House from May 2019-August 2019 under President Trump, according to LegiStorm. He also was an intern for U.S. Sen.

Rob Portman, R-Ohio, from January 2019-May 2019.

Dubke is a 2021 graduate of Georgetown University with a bachelor’s degree in international economics.

Sanders served as White House press secretary for then-President Donald Trump from 2017-2019. She was sworn in as Arkansas’ first female governor Jan. 10, 2023. She will be up for reelection in 2026.

In late December 2022, the governor announced her appointment of Henning, a former White House director of broadcast media for Trump, as the communications director for the Arkansas governor’s office.

Henning departed the governor’s office, effective Aug. 16 of this year.

She was a staunch advocate and defender of Sanders and at times sharply criticized the governor’s critics on the social media platform X.

As communications director in the governor’s office, Henning’s salary was $132,360 a year.