Erika Kirk by Gage Skidmore / Flickr
Turning Point USA announced Sept. 18 that Erika Kirk, the wife of late founder Charlie Kirk, has been appointed as the organization’s new CEO and board chair, following his death.
In a statement board members Doug De Groote, Mike Miller, Tom Sodeika, and David Engelhardt signed, Turning Point USA praised Charlie Kirk’s efforts in building the organization and “preparing all of us for a moment like this one.”
“He worked tirelessly to ensure Turning Point USA was built to survive even the greatest tests,” the statement said. “And now, it is our great pride to announce Erika Kirk as the new CEO and Chair of the Board for Turning Point USA.”
The statement then invoked Kirk’s legacy: “All of us at Turning Point USA have a special role in carrying Charlie Kirk’s mantle and completing his vision of bringing us all closer to our Lord and fostering a prosperous country for generations to come,” the board said.
Quoting one of Kirk’s familiar phrases, they wrote: “We have a country to save.”
The statement concluded by pledging to carry forward the late founder’s mission.
“We will not surrender or kneel before evil,” they said. “We will carry on. The attempt to destroy Charlie’s work will become our chance to make it more powerful and enduring than ever before.”
Turning Point USA has continued to grow in the weeks since Kirk’s death. FOX News reported that the organization has received more than 54,000 new chapter requests nationwide — more than doubling Kirk’s original goal of 20,000 chapters.
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