Erika Kirk, the widow of murdered right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk, has been named the new leader of his conservative youth organisation, Turning Point USA.
The non-profit had vowed to carry on its work after Kirk was shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University last week, leading to the arrest of prime suspect Tyler Robinson, 22, who was charged with seven offences, including aggravated murder.
“We will carry on,” the Turning Point leadership wrote in a public letter on X, announcing Kirk’s unanimous approval as the group’s new CEO and Chair of the Board. “The attempt to destroy Charlie’s work will become our chance to make it more powerful and enduring than ever before.”
The Independent takes a look at Erika Kirk, the 36-year-old mother of Charlie Kirk’s two children, and now the chief of the organisation through which he made his name.
What was Erika Kirk’s upbringing?
Erika Kirk was born as Erika Lane Frantzve on 20 November 1988.
Raised in a tight-knit Catholic family, Kirk set up Arizona-based organization Everyday Heroes Like You while still a teen, an organization designed to raise funds for small charities.
Kirk attended Notre Dame Preparatory High School in Scottsdale, Arizona, before studying political science and international relations at Arizona State University.
She was also a keen basketball player in her youth, playing for the women’s team at Regis University in Denver, Colorado, for two years.
What did she do before meeting Charlie Kirk?
Kirk began entering the public eye when she started participating in beauty pageants, something she told Arizona Foothills Magazine was an effort to give back to her community.
“My mom used to take us to soup kitchens and constantly said we needed to share our blessings with others,” she told the magazine after winning Miss Arizona USA in 2012.
“When I learned that by competing I could touch more people, further my causes, I knew it was a chance to make a greater impact.”
She then began a career as a businesswoman, hosting the podcast “Midweek Rise Up,” which is dedicated to biblical teachings and spiritual leadership, and founding the clothing brand Proclaim Streetwear and Bible in 365, a Christian ministry project.
In 2019, Kirk began dating Charlie Kirk in New York City. They became engaged in December 2020 before marrying on 8 May 2021 in Scottsdale, Arizona, with a wedding reception in the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess hotel funded by Turning Point USA, coinciding with its 9th anniversary.
Marriage to Charlie Kirk and subsequent political activities
Kirk was frequently seen with her husband Charlie, particularly at his speaking events as he toured the US for open public debates.
The couple recently celebrated the seventh anniversary of their first date together. Frantzve revealed in a September 2023 Instagram post that she and Kirk went on their first date in Manhattan in 2018.
“5 years ago today, we sat inside Bills Burgers in NYC deep in conversation and banter over theology, philosophy, and politics, and at the end, you paused, looked at me, and said, ‘I’m going to date you.”
The couple has two young children: a daughter born in August 2022 and a son born in May 2024.
This past April, Frantzve appeared on an episode of The Charlie Kirk Show where she discussed the pair’s relationship.
“Keep your faith, obviously first, and try to identify any fleshy problems that you might be having… You have to continually invest in the confidence in one another, that you’re on the same team. You support each other. You love each other. You’re not going to undercut each other. You’re not going to undercut each other,” she said.
It has been reported that the family was present on the Utah campus when Charlie Kirk was shot, and it subsequently emerged that Erika had shared a Bible verse about seeking help during difficult times just hours before she lost her husband.
Speaking during a memorial broadcast of the late activist’s show, Erika Kirk vowed to carry on Turning Point’s work and grow the organization.
“If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea,” Kirk said. “You have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country.”
