Erika Kirk named CEO of Turning Point USA after husband's murder

By Tim Reid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The widow of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist assassinated on a college campus last week, was unanimously elected on Thursday as the new CEO of Turning Point USA, the group Kirk founded to galvanize young voters to Republican causes.

The election of Erika Kirk by Turning Point USA's board comes at a time when the future of the organization and its role in turning out young voters in next year's congressional midterm elections has come under intense scrutiny since Kirk's murder. President Donald Trump has credited Charlie Kirk with helping him boost young voter turnout and win the White House.

"Charlie prepared 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. 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 board announced.

Tyler Robinson, 22, is accused of firing the single rifle shot from a rooftop that killed Kirk, 31, during a campus event at Utah Valley University on September 10.

In a video address after Kirk's murder, Erika, 36, signaled that she would be taking over her husband's mission to recruit young Americans to conservative causes. Kirk shares her husband's Christian faith and conservative values.

"You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry," she said.

(Reporting by Tim Reid, editing by Ross Colvin and Nick Zieminski)