MAGA activist group Turning Point USA announced Thursday that Erika Kirk, the widow of its slain president Charlie Kirk, will take over the organization.
The late Charlie Kirk “expressed to multiple executives” within the organization that he wanted his wife Erika, 36, to succeed him as CEO in the event of his death, according to the organization.
“It was the honor of our lives to serve as board members at Charlie’s side,” reads the statement.
“Charlie prepared us all for a moment like this one. 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 for Turning Point USA.”
Public attention turned to Erika Kirk in the wake of her husband’s assassination Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University. On Sept. 12, two days after the shooting, she delivered an address in which she vowed to carry on Charlie Kirk’s work.
As Kirk’s wife, Erika worked as a real estate agent with the Corcoran Group in New York City. She founded the Everyday Heroes Like You non-profit and hosted the Midweek Rise Up podcast.
She is also a former Miss Arizona, winning the honor in 2012. In 2018, she filmed an episode for Bravo’s reality dating show Summer House, and in 2019 revealed she turned down a full-time role on the show to pursue her Juris Master from Liberty University.
Erika was not as publicly involved with Turning Point as her late husband. She appeared alongside him at Turning Point USA balls but rarely attended the Turning Point debate forums on college campuses that helped the late Kirk grow on social media.
As president and CEO of Turning Point USA, Charlie made nearly $286,000 a year, according to ProPublica, along with an additional $104,000 of “related” compensation.
The pair met in 2018 and dated for three years before marrying in 2021. They have two children together, ages 3 and 1.
Turning Point USA will hold a memorial for Kirk on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
