Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has announced that he will be running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, joining former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in the primary race.
Asa Hutchinson ( Photo: ABC15 Arizona )
Asa Hutchinson stated that he had decided to run after traveling around the country and hearing that people wanted leaders who appealed to the best of America.
“I am going to be running. And the reason, as I’ve traveled the country for six months, I hear people talk about the leadership of our country, and I’m convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America, and not simply appeal to our worst instincts,” Hutchinson said. “I believe I can be that kind of leader for the people of America.”
Hutchinson plans to make a formal announcement later this month in Bentonville, Arkansas. As a former federal prosecutor, he also expressed his view that Trump should drop out of the race now that he has been indicted. He believes that the office of the presidency is more important than any individual person and that Trump should concentrate on his due process. Hutchinson noted that while people don’t have to step aside from public office if they’re under investigation, the office is always more important than a person when it comes to criminal charges.
“I’m not supportive of Donald Trump. I want to provide an alternative, but I’m happy if the voters make that decision and choice,” Hutchinson said. “I don’t like the idea of the charges from what I’ve seen coming out of New York. But the process has got to work, and we’ve got to have respect for our criminal justice system, but also for the office of the presidency.”
Asa Hutchinson’s decision to run for the Republican nomination will make the primary race more interesting as he brings a different perspective to the table.
The former governor has been critical of Trump in the past, but he has also been vocal about the importance of the Republican Party uniting behind a candidate who can win the presidency.
The primary contest is shaping up to be a battle between Trump loyalists and more moderate Republicans, and it remains to be seen whether Hutchinson’s candidacy will gain traction.
