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Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson set to run for 2024 US presidential elections

Asa Hutchinson believes American people wants a leader who can appeal to the best of the country

WASHINGTON, DC: Former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson announced his bid to run for president in the 2024 presidential election during an appearance on ABC’s ‘This Week.’ The Republican reportedly spent several days in Iowa prior to his bid for candidacy and said that he would make a formal announcement in Bentonville, Arkansas, later this month, according to ABC News.

Hutchinson’s bid to run in the 2024 presidential election came shortly after a Manhattan grand jury filed an indictment against former US president Donald Trump over his alleged role in the 2016 hush money issue related to Stormy Daniels. A few days before announcing his run for president, Asa Hutchinson said Trump should not be the next US president amid his ongoing legal trouble. “It is essential that the decision on America’s next President be made at the ballot box and not in the court system. Donald Trump should not be next President, but that should be decided by the voters,” the politician wrote in a statement posted on Twitter.

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Asa Hutchinson served as the 46th governor of Arkansas from 2015 to 2023. He was first elected to the role in 2014 and reelected in 2018. However, he was barred from seeking reelection in 2022 due to term limits. The Republican also served as the vice chair of the National Governors Association from 2020 to 2021 and the chair of the association from 2021 to 2022. On a personal front, Asa Hutchinson is married to Susan Burrell, and the pair shares four children together.

Who is Asa Hutchinson’s wife Susan?

Susan Hutchinson is the wife of former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson. She became the first lady of Arkansas after her husband was appointed to the role of governor on January 13, 2015. Mrs Hutchinson is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up with her six siblings, according to the National Governors Association.

She was a valedictorian of Fulton High School and attended Bob Jones University in South Carolina. Susan Hutchinson reportedly met Asa Hutchinson during her time at Bob Jones University. Following her graduation, Mrs Hutchinson taught biology and algebra in Memphis. She was also known for advocating and working with children.

During her tenure as the first lady of Arkansas, Susan Hutchinson hoped to establish more Children’s Advocacy Centers in Arkansas and attempted to advocate for more students' exposure to arts. Asa and Susan Hutchinson tied the knot in 1973. They have four children, namely, Asa Hutchinson III, Sarah Hutchinson, Seth Hutchinson, and John Hutchinson, as well as six grandchildren.

Why is Asa Hutchinson running for president?

Asa Hutchinson announced his bid to run for US president during an interview with Jonathan Karl on ABC’s ‘This Week.’ “I have made a decision, and my decision is I'm going to run for president of the United States. While the formal announcement will be later in April, in Bentonville [Arkansas], I want to make it clear to you, Jonathan, I am going to be running,” the former GOP governor mentioned.

He also elaborated on the reason behind his decision to run for president and said, “The reason is, I've traveled the country for six months, I hear people talk about the leadership of our country. I'm convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America, and not simply appeal to our worst instincts.”

Hutchinson also shared that he was inspired by his travels across the US over the last six months and admitted that it would require “a lot of hard work and good messaging” to achieve victory in the run for president. During the interview, the former governor reiterated his stance on Donald Trump’s candidacy and said, “First of all, the office is more important than any individual person. And so for the sake of the office of the presidency, I do think that's too much of a sideshow and distraction and he needs to be able to concentrate on his due process and there is a presumption of innocence.”

What were Asa Hutchinson’s key actions as the governor of Arkansas?

Asa Hutchinson was sworn in as the governor of Arkansas on January 13, 2015. Shortly after assuming office, the politician blocked all Syrian refugees from entering Arkansas in response to the November 2015 Paris attacks. The state also resumed executions under Hutchinson’s leadership in 2017.

In February 2019, the governor signed a bill into law to criminalize abortion in Arkansas in the case of the Roe v Wade overturning. He made headlines again in March 2021 after signing a near-total abortion ban bill into law. However, he later said that the law should be “revisited” for having no exceptions for victims of rape and incest, per USA Today.

That same year, Hutchinson signed a bill into law that banned the requirement of Covid-19 vaccine proof for staff and customers to enter businesses and government facilities. He signed another bill into law that prohibited the mask mandate. The GOP governor was also criticized by the LGBTQ+ community after signing a law legislation that would enable doctors to refuse non-emergency medical treatment to members of the LGBTQ+ community over moral objections.

In April 2021, Asa Hutchinson vetoed another bill that made it illegal for transgender minors to receive gender-affirming medication or surgery. The veto was later overridden by the state legislature. The politician even made news after his son Asa Hutchinson III was charged with driving while in possession of a controlled substance and arrested on drug charges earlier this year.

‘He doesn’t stand a chance’

Social media users were also quick to react to Asa Hutchinson’s bid to run for president. “Asa Hutchison just announced and Chris Sununu seems like he’s going to announce very soon. Why are so many republicans delusional about being able to beat Trump?,” one user wrote. “Asa Hutchison, nope. He doesn’t stand a chance,” another commented. “Asa Hutchison and I are both not going to be president, the difference is that I am not spending a ton of $ or getting embarrassed by Trump to find that out,” another user tweeted.

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