Ex-Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson announces Republican bid for president
Little Rock, Arkansas - Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has become the latest Republican to announce a bid for president in 2024.
The 72-year-old politician said he would run for president during ABC's This Week on Sunday, saying, "I believe that I am the right time for America, the right candidate for our country and its future."
"I'm convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America and not simply appeal to our worst instincts," he added.
Hutchinson has joined ex-President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy in the growing Republican field.
Though he has not yet made an announcement, far-right Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is also expected to join the fray.
The rumor mill suggests other potential contenders may include former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.
Asa Hutchinson's conservative track record as governor
As governor, Hutchinson signed a near-total abortion ban which took effect after the fall of Roe v. Wade, approved legislation that would prevent municipalities from extending civil rights protections to LGBTQ+ people, restarted executions, and instituted work requirements for people on Medicaid.
The former head of George W. Bush's Drug Enforcement Administration shocked members of his own party when he vetoed a bill to ban gender-affirming care for trans youth in Arkansas, though the General Assembly overrode him.
Hutchinson has also been a vocal opponent of Donald Trump amid the Stormy Daniels hush-money probe, urging the ex-president to drop out of the 2024 race following his criminal indictment.
Hutchinson said a more formal announcement of his candidacy will come later this month at an event in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Cover photo: LOGAN CYRUS / AFP