The board of conservative youth organization Turning Point USA voted unanimously to hand over the reins of the group to Erika Kirk, widow of political activist Charlie Kirk.

In a statement, the group said Thursday that Charlie Kirk had expressed to executives that he wished for his wife to take over as chief executive and board chair in the event of his death.

“We will not surrender or kneel before evil,” the group’s board members wrote. “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.”

Erika Kirk, a graduate of Liberty University, won the Miss Arizona USA pageant in 2012 and went on to start her own podcast, clothing brand and nonprofit organization, and married the political organizer in 2021. Charlie Kirk cofounded TPUSA in 2012.

She is set to speak at a memorial for her deceased husband at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona — home to the Arizona Cardinals football team — alongside President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and several senior administration officials.

The influential political organization has seen a surge in interest from young conservatives since the fatal shooting of its leader last week at a university in Utah. In the week following Charlie Kirk’s killing, the group said it had received more than 50,000 requests from high school and college students to start a chapter with the organization’s network or join an existing one.

Erika Kirk vowed to carry on her husband’s legacy in the wake of his death, committing to “make Turning Point the biggest thing this nation has ever seen” in public remarks just hours after authorities announced the arrest of Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah man now charged with aggravated murder.

Republicans intend to elevate Charlie Kirk’s killing as they look to the 2026 midterm elections, highlighting what they call radical left-wing violence and aiming to carry on his legacy of mobilizing young voters to turn out for Republicans.