Turning Point USA announced on Thursday that Erika Kirk, the widow of co-founder Charlie Kirk, will succeed him as the conservative youth organization’s next CEO and chair of its board.
The organization shared in an X post that the four-person board elected Kirk as its fifth member unanimously. They also noted that “in prior discussions, Charlie expressed to multiple executives that this is what he wanted in the event of his death.”
“It was the honor of our lives to serve as board members at Charlie’s side,” the four members — Doug De Groote, Mike Miller, Tom Sodeika and David Engelhardt — said in a statement. “He worked tirelessly to ensure Turning Point USA was built to survive even the greatest tests. And now, it is our great pride to announce Erika Kirk as the new CEO and Chair of the Board.”
The decision comes just eight days after Charlie Kirk was killed while speaking at Utah Valley University, offering some clarity as to who may shepherd Kirk’s legacy across his multi-faceted role as a conservative activist and media star.
Turning Point USA noted on Thursday that all of its staffers have a 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.”
Erika had hinted at taking some involvement in leading the movement in an Instagram post days after her husband’s death.
“They have no idea what they just ignited within this wife,” she wrote. “If they thought my husband’s mission was big now. You have no idea.”
