Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson says he is running for President; Bentonville kick-off later this month

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Sunday (April 2) that he will run for U.S. President in the 2024 election cycle.

In an interview that aired Sunday with ABC reporter Jonathan Karl on This Week, Hutchinson declared his candidacy.

“I have made a decision and my decision is I’m going to run for President of the United States,” the former Republican governor said.

“While the formal announcement will be later in April in Bentonville, I wanted to make clear that, to you Jonathan, that 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. I’m convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America and not simply appeal to our worst instincts,” Hutchinson added.

Hutchinson, 72, has been saying for months that he was considering a run for President. After his eight years as Arkansas Governor, which included a high-profile stint as chairman of the National Governors Association, he had become a frequent figure on Sunday national political TV shows.

With former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis being the most talked-about Republican candidates in the field, Hutchinson has not registered much, if at all, in any national or state polls in early primary states. Other announced GOP candidates for President in 2024 include former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Hutchinson has often been critical of former President Donald Trump, who was indicted this week and is considered the frontrunner for the GOP nomination.

“When a public official is indicted, I think with regard to the office, the office is more important than the person and they should step aside,” Hutchinson said on Fox Business on Friday. “That standard should apply here. It is a distraction. It is not a good day for America, but the system has to play out here and we have to have confidence that it can.”

You can watch Hutchinson’s full interview with Karl at this link.