Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson called off his presidential bid on Tuesday morning after coming in sixth in Iowa’s caucuses on Monday night. Hutchinson served two terms as governor before heading up both the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and serving as federal prosecutor, using law enforcement experience as a weapon against Donald Trump’s populist platform.
Hutchinson’s Campaign Failed
Once all results from Monday’s Iowa caucuses had been tabulated, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson made an unexpected announcement announcing he would suspend his presidential bid after finishing sixth with just 191 votes and zero pledged delegates. Hutchinson had attempted to break out from behind the GOP pack; unfortunately his campaign never gained much traction, hovering near one percent or less nationally and in early nominating states polls.
Hutchinson ran as an anti-Trump alternative, often emphasizing his long career in public service as congressman, US attorney, and director of the Drug Enforcement Agency under George W. Bush. Additionally, he supported traditional conservative policies like tax reductions, expanding military spending and border security.
Hutchinson faced stiff competition from more well-funded and better-known candidates such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley; his message failed to resonate with voters who seemed more interested in candidates who could oppose Trump administration than support it.
Hutchinson’s Campaign Didn’t Sell
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson entered the race in April with plans of offering “consistent conservatism.” However, he never garnered much support, regularly falling below 1 percent in polls and failing to qualify for debates as a Republican candidate.
Hutchinson campaigned from Bentonville, home of retail giant Walmart. He pitched himself as an economically friendly candidate compared to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who has engaged in an ongoing dispute with Walmart – though his campaign events saw minimal attendance and his message of placing “the needs of American people first” failed to resonate with voters.
Hutchinson joins other prominent candidates like Vivek Ramaswamy, biotechnology entrepreneur Chris Christie, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, radio host Larry Elder and businessman Perry Johnson who have all suspended their campaigns. It remains unknown if Hutchinson plans on running again for office in his home state of Oregon.
Hutchinson’s Campaign Failed to Gain Delegates
Hutchinson, who often criticized Trump and urged him to withdraw, never gained much traction during the campaign. His message fell flat with voters, and events did not draw significant crowds. Poll numbers barely broke 1 percent for him and he did not qualify for any further GOP debates.
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe started his campaign in April as a “non-Trump” candidate, saying his former boss’ legal issues distracted from real issues. Beebe claimed his experience as both an ICE Director and Undersecretary for Homeland Security for Border Protection under former president George W. Bush gave him an advantage to take up office.
However, he failed to make any headway and finished sixth at Monday’s Iowa caucuses, behind Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Additionally, other candidates like bio-entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy of Vivek Ramaswamy Group International Pte. Ltd; North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum; and radio host Larry Elder outshone him when it came to name recognition and deep pockets.
Hutchinson’s Campaign Failed to Gain Votes
Hutchinson, an outspoken conservative who was willing to criticize President Donald Trump, never gained much traction in the Republican race. He failed to crack 1 percent in polls and only attracted small crowds at campaign events; his message fell flat among candidates such as former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley who all were more popular than him.
Hutchinson finished sixth overall in Monday night’s Iowa caucuses with 191 votes, after his campaign launched earlier in April in Bentonville, Arkansas home of retail giant Walmart intended to portray him as an business-friendly Republican candidate.
But his campaign failed to gain traction despite holding meetings across Iowa and attempting to meet increasingly stringent GOP requirements for debate participation. Though he pledged his participation up until Thanksgiving, on Tuesday he made the unexpected announcement of his withdrawal and said his message of being an experienced principled Republican who told truth about front-runner didn’t sell in Iowa and decided to step aside in order to give my fellow Republicans someone they can depend on instead.
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