Republican Party Of Sarasota County Names Mike Pompeo 2022 'Statesman Of The Year'

SARASOTA, FL — President Donald Trump’s former secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, has been named the 2022 "Statesman of the Year" by the Republican Party of Sarasota County.

He’ll be honored during a March 24 barbecue at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota. He’ll be on hand to accept the award and will be the featured speaker at the 10th annual event, the Sarasota GOP shared on Facebook.

Tickets range from $100 to $500 and can be purchased online here.

Pompeo will also speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference taking place Feb. 24-27 in Orlando.

Before joining the Trump administration, Pompeo was director of the CIA. He also previously served as a U.S. representative for the state of Kansas.

Last year, he launched a new political group, the Champion American Values PAC. CAVPAC was created to support conservative candidates in the 2022 midterm elections. The group’s name is a nod to Pompeo’s military service with the U.S. Cavalry.

“In recent years, as the director of the CIA and then as our country’s top diplomat, I worked abroad to protect America from those who want to do us harm. Today at home, our foundational ideas are under attack more than ever before, and I intend to stay in the fight,” he said in a statement.

There’s been speculation that Pompeo is considering a run for president in 2024, especially after he recently lost 90 lbs. and his political action committee spent $30,000 on media training for him, according to reports. He hasn’t squarely answered questions on the topic, though.

"We are helping folks run in 2022. That’s as far as we’re looking," he told the Des Moines Register. "This fight is going to go on. It will go on past 2022, but what will happen, what my role will be in that, only the Lord knows."