Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson ends his 2024 campaign after sixth-place finish in Iowa caucuses
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson dropped his long-shot bid for the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday, ending a candidacy that served as a throwback to an earlier era of the GOP but ultimately failed to resonate in a party now dominated by Donald Trump.
Hutchinson's exit came a day after he finished sixth in Iowa's leadoff caucuses, well behind Trump and other top rivals but also behind Ryan Binkley, a pastor who failed to qualify for any of the debates. Hutchinson was the last GOP candidate remaining in the race who was willing to directly take on Trump.
"I congratulate Donald J. Trump for his win last night in Iowa and to the other candidates who competed and garnered delegate support," Hutchinson said in a statement. "Today, I am suspending my campaign for President and driving back to Arkansas. My message of being a principled Republican with experience and telling the truth about the current front-runner did not sell in Iowa."
Hutchinson's campaign manager, Alison WIlliams, said he wasn't issuing an endorsement at this time.
During the campaign, he failed to register beyond a single percentage point in most polls and drew sparse crowds even as the Republican presidential field winnowed from more than a dozen candidates down to a handful. Another competitor, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, dropped out of the race Monday night after finishing fourth in Iowa.
Hutchinson stayed in the race even as better-financed and well-known candidates such as former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott dropped out last year.
Video below: Asa Hutchinson says he's disappointed in Iowa Caucus performance
During the first debate, Hutchinson was booed by some audience members when he said he wouldn't support Trump if he was convicted in any of his four criminal cases, and he questioned whether the former president was disqualified from holding office because of his role in inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
"I am not going to support somebody who's been convicted of a serious felony or who is disqualified under our Constitution," Hutchinson said.
He failed to meet the qualifications for the next four presidential debates, an unwelcome development that denied him needed exposure.
Before entering the race, he called another Trump White House run the "worst scenario" for the GOP and said the former president’s call to terminate parts of the Constitution hurt the country.
He objected to the Republican National Committee’s requirement that candidates support the eventual nominee in order to qualify for the debate stage, though he ultimately signed the pledge. Hutchinson said the party should instead require hopefuls to vow to not run as a third-party candidate.