Asa Hutchinson | |
|---|---|
 Hutchinson in 2023 | |
| 46thGovernor of Arkansas | |
| In office January 13, 2015 – January 10, 2023 | |
| Lieutenant | Tim Griffin |
| Preceded by | Mike Beebe |
| Succeeded by | Sarah Huckabee Sanders |
| Chair of theNational Governors Association | |
| In office July 8, 2021 – July 15, 2022 | |
| Vice Chair | Phil Murphy |
| Preceded by | Andrew Cuomo |
| Succeeded by | Phil Murphy |
| Vice Chair of theNational Governors Association | |
| In office August 5, 2020 – July 8, 2021 | |
| Chair | Andrew Cuomo |
| Preceded by | Andrew Cuomo |
| Succeeded by | Phil Murphy |
| Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security | |
| In office January 23, 2003 – March 1, 2005 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Randy Beardsworth (acting) |
| 8thAdministrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration | |
| In office August 8, 2001 – January 23, 2003 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Deputy | John B. Brown III |
| Preceded by | Donnie R. Marshall |
| Succeeded by | Karen Tandy |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromArkansas's3rd district | |
| In office January 3, 1997 – August 6, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Tim Hutchinson |
| Succeeded by | John Boozman |
| Chair of theArkansas Republican Party | |
| In office January 1, 1991 – December 31, 1995 Serving with Sheffield Nelson(1991–1992) | |
| Preceded by | Ken Coon |
| Succeeded by | Lloyd Stone |
| United States Attorney for theWestern District of Arkansas | |
| In office September 1, 1982 – January 20, 1985 | |
| President | Ronald Reagan |
| Preceded by | Larry McCord |
| Succeeded by | Michael Fitzhugh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Asa Hutchinson II (1950-12-03)December 3, 1950 (age 74) Bentonville, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Tim Hutchinson (brother) |
| Education | Bob Jones University (BA) University of Arkansas (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | Campaign website |
William Asa Hutchinson II (/ˈeɪsə/,AY-sə; born December 3, 1950) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who served as the 46thgovernor of Arkansas from 2015 to 2023. A member of theRepublican Party, he previously served as aU.S. attorney,U.S. representative, and in two roles in theGeorge W. Bush administration. He was acandidate for the2024 Republican presidential nomination.
In 1982, PresidentRonald Reagan appointed Hutchinson to serve as the U.S. Attorney for theWestern District of Arkansas, which covers most ofFort Smith. In1986, Hutchinson unsuccessfully challenged Democratic U.S. SenatorDale Bumpers, before losing a race forAttorney General of Arkansas toWinston Bryant four years later. He later successfully ran for the House of Representatives in 1996, representingArkansas's 3rd congressional district until 2001, when presidentGeorge W. Bush successfully nominated him asAdministrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. In 2003, Bush appointed Hutchinson as the Under Secretary for border and transportation security at the newly establishedDepartment of Homeland Security; Hutchinson retired from the Bush administration in 2005.
In2006, Hutchinson was the Republican nominee for governor of Arkansas, but lost toDemocratic nomineeMike Beebe, thestate attorney general. In2014, Hutchinson was again the Republican nominee for governor, this time defeating the Democratic nominee, U.S. RepresentativeMike Ross. He was reelected in2018 with nearly two-thirds of the vote. Due toterm limits, he was barred from seeking reelection in2022, and was succeeded bySarah Huckabee Sanders.
From 2020 to 2021, Hutchinson served as vice chair of theNational Governors Association. He succeeded GovernorAndrew Cuomo of New York as chair of the organization for 2021–2022. In 2023 he announcedhis candidacy in the2024 Republican Party presidential primaries. He suspended his campaign on January 16, 2024, after a poor performance in theIowa caucuses. In April 2024, he joinedScripps News as a political contributor.[1]
Hutchinson was born inBentonville, Arkansas, the son of Coral Virginia (Mount) Hutchinson (1912–1998) and John Malcolm Hutchinson Sr. (1907–1991).[2] He earned his bachelor's degree in accounting fromBob Jones University in South Carolina in 1972 and received hisJ.D. from theUniversity of Arkansas School of Law in 1975.[3] He practiced law inFort Smith for 21 years and handled more than 100 jury trials.
In 1982, PresidentRonald Reagan appointed HutchinsonU.S. attorney for theWestern District of Arkansas. At age 31, Hutchinson was the nation's youngest U.S. attorney. He made national headlines after successfully prosecutingThe Covenant, The Sword, and The Arm of the Lord (CSA), awhite supremacist organization founded by polygamistJames Ellison. The CSA forced a three-day armed standoff with local, state, and federal law enforcement. As U.S. attorney, Hutchinson personally negotiated a peaceful conclusion to the standoff.[4]
In 1986, Hutchinson ran against incumbent Democratic U.S. senator and former governorDale Bumpers.[5] It was a good year for Democrats, and Hutchinson fared worse than Bumpers's previous Senate challenger, Little Rock investment banker William P. "Bill" Clark.
In 1990, Hutchinson ran againstWinston Bryant for attorney general of Arkansas; he lost the race by a margin of 55–45%. Hutchinson then became co-chair, withSheffield Nelson, of the Arkansas Republican Party, a position he held from 1991 through 1995, the last four years as full chair. He considered a rematch with Bumpers in 1992 before deferring toMike Huckabee, who lost to Bumpers.
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In 1992 Hutchinson's brother,Tim, was elected to Congress in Arkansas's third congressional district, when veteran U.S. RepresentativeJohn Paul Hammerschmidt retired. In 1996, when his brother decided not to run for a third term in the House in order to seek the open Senate seat caused by the retirement ofDavid Pryor, Hutchinson ran for the seat and won.
Hutchinson, who had at first decided to run for an open seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives from Sebastian County, defeated Ann Henry, a longtime friend ofBill andHillary Clinton, in November 1996. Although Henry outspent Hutchinson during the campaign, the district's heavy Republican tilt and his brother Tim's presence atop the ballot helped Asa win with 52% of the vote. Tim Hutchinson alsowon his campaign for the U.S. Senate and served one term, losing his reelection bid in2002.
In 1998, Hutchinson was reelected to the House with far less difficulty, taking 81% of the vote against a third party challenger. He was reelected unopposed in 2000.
Hutchinson served as ahouse manager (prosecutor) in theimpeachment trial of Bill Clinton.[6]
In office, Hutchinson compiled a voting record asconservative as his brother's. He led efforts to crack down on illegal drugs, particularlymethamphetamine. Hutchinson also served as one of the managers of theimpeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in 1998. In 1999, Hutchinson was involved in the effort to reform campaign finance laws and offered an alternative proposal to the bill byChristopher Shays andMarty Meehan, which he opposed on the grounds that it "went too far" by attempting to ban television commercials by legal third-party organizations. Hutchinson did supportJohn McCain's andRuss Feingold's Senate bill.[7]
Hutchinson unsuccessfully tried to modify the civil asset forfeiture reform bill that sought to prevent police abuse of its power to seize private property on mere suspicion of being linked to any criminal investigation. His amendment would allegedly have empowered the police to continue profiting from drug money.[8]
In 2001, at the beginning of theGeorge W. Bush administration, Hutchinson was appointed Administrator of theDrug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He was confirmed by a 98–1 Senate vote.[9]
After theSeptember 11 attacks, Congress created theDepartment of Homeland Security (DHS). President Bush tapped Hutchinson to lead the Border and Transportation Security Directorate, a division of the DHS. The Senate confirmed Hutchinson byunanimous consent on January 23, 2003.[10] Hutchinson left office as Undersecretary on March 1, 2005.[11]
In early 2005, Hutchinson founded a consulting firm, Hutchinson Group, LLC, with partners Betty Guhman and Kirk Tompkins, inLittle Rock, and accepted a contract for a one-year position withVenable LLP in Washington, D.C., as the chair of its Homeland Security practice.[12] Hutchinson ended his contract withVenable LLP in March 2006 to focus on his gubernatorial campaign and his consulting firm in Little Rock. In January 2007, Hutchinson rejoined Venable.[13]
In June 2006, theArkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that Hutchinson's $2,800 investment in Fortress America Acquisition Corporation, a company that Hutchinson was advising, was worth over $1 million after the company'sinitial public offering. The news story noted that Hutchinson was unable to touch his stock for another two years. The six founding shareholders in Fortress America, in addition to Hutchinson, included former U.S. RepresentativeTom McMillen, former U.S. SenatorDon Nickles, and a private-equity firm that had former CIA DirectorJames Woolsey among its partners.
On May 4, 2006, Hutchinson had filed a financial disclosure form he was required to submit as a candidate for governor. The form did not list his 200,000 shares in Fortress America, which were trading at about $5 per share. "Just totally an oversight", Hutchinson said when questioned by the media in June.[14] He filed an amended report the next day to correct the error.[15]
Hutchinson agreed to serve onThe Constitution Project's Guantanamo Task Force in December 2010.[16][17][18] He told theAssociated Press he agreed to join the task force because he believed it was "something important for our national security and our war on terrorism."
In the wake ofthe shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, theNational Rifle Association of America (NRA) assembled a group with backgrounds inhomeland security, law enforcement training, and school safety to review school security standards in select areas of the country. Led by Hutchinson, the group's stated goal was to produce a comprehensive plan to address the safety of children in schools and to prevent such shootings in the future. On April 2, 2013, he presented the National School Shield plan during a news conference at theNational Press Club.[19][20]
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Shortly after returning to Arkansas, Hutchinson announced his candidacy for governor in 2006. Initially, he was to face three-term Lieutenant GovernorWinthrop Paul Rockefeller, who was favored in most pre-election polls, in the Republican primary. But Rockefeller's withdrawal and death from a blood disorder in early 2006 led to Hutchinson winning the primary. In the general election, he lost to the Democratic nominee, then-Arkansas Attorney GeneralMike Beebe.[21]
Hutchinson was the Republican nominee forgovernor of Arkansas in 2014. He was supported byHouse SpeakerDavy Carter.[22] On November 4, 2014, after defeating Tea Party-backed Curtis Coleman in the Republican primary, he defeated the Democratic nominee,Mike Ross, in the general election with 55% of the vote, the best showing for a Republican in an open-seat gubernatorial race since the end of Reconstruction. His victory also gave the GOP complete control of state government for the first time since the end of Reconstruction.
Hutchinson was reelected on November 6, 2018, in a landslide, taking over 65% of the vote and carrying all but eight counties. In a bad year for the GOP nationally, Hutchinson garnered the largest margin of victory for a Republican candidate in Arkansas history.
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Hutchinson took office as governor on January 13, 2015.
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On November 16, 2015, Hutchinson said that he would block all Syrian refugees from entering the state in response to theNovember 2015 Paris attacks.[23]
Under Hutchinson, Arkansas resumed executions in 2017 after having executed no one since 2005.[24][25][26] In 2021,DNA testing on the murder weapon and a bloody shirt at the scene of the crime did not matchLedell Lee, who was convicted and executed for murder.[27] Hutchinson defended Lee's execution, saying, "the DNA findings released today do not present any conclusive evidence to undermine [Lee's guilty verdict]."[27]
As governor, Hutchinson implemented work requirements forMedicaid enrollees. As a result, by December 2018, almost 17,000 Arkansans had lost their Medicaid health insurance, with reapplication available in the new calendar year.[28]
In February 2019, Hutchinson signed abill into law that would criminalize abortion in the eventRoe v. Wade is overturned.[29] On March 9, 2021, he signed SB6, a near-totalabortion bill, into law. He said that the bill was intended "to set the stage for theSupreme Court overturningcurrent case law. I would have preferred the legislation to include the exceptions forrape andincest, which has been my consistent view, and such exceptions would increase the chances for a review by the U.S. Supreme Court."[30] On May 8, 2022, Hutchinson responded to comments by Senate Minority LeaderMitch McConnell about potential passage of a future federal law prohibiting abortions nationwide: "If the court reverses Roe v. Wade, they're saying that the Constitution does not provide that, which returns it to the states. And that's where the vigorous debate is going to be. That is where we're going to face a lot of concerns on the compassion side."[31]
In 2015, Hutchinson signed into law legislation that would prohibit localities from extending civil rights protections toLGBT individuals.[32] At the time, Arkansas was among states that allowed discrimination in the workplace, housing and business on the basis ofgender identity andsexual orientation.[33] In March 2021, Hutchinson signed into law legislation that would allow doctors to refuse non-emergency medical treatment to LGBT people based on moral objection.[34] In April 2021, he vetoed a bill that would make it illegal fortransgender minors to receivegender-affirming medication or surgery,[35] calling it "a vast government overreach".[36] The state legislature later overrode his veto.[37]
In August 2021, Hutchinson signed bills into law that prohibited businesses and government facilities from requiring proof ofCOVID-19 vaccination for staff and customers to enter facilities.[38] While Arkansas was experiencing a wave of COVID-19 cases, he also signed a bill into law that prohibited state and local officials from enacting mask mandates.[39] He later said he regretted doing so.[39] In December 2021, Hutchinson praised PresidentJoe Biden's COVID policies and thanked Biden for his efforts to "get the vaccinations out" and "depoliticizing" the federal COVID response.[40][41] In January 2022, Hutchinson encouraged large businesses to not comply with theBiden administration's vaccine requirements.[42]
Hutchinson demanded that Republicans whotried to overturn the 2020 presidential election and spreadDonald Trump's "Big Lie" about massvoter fraud not be put in positions of leadership.[43] He also accused Trump of dividing the party and said his election conspiracies were a "recipe for disaster".[44][45] On February 5, 2022, Hutchinson and U.S. senatorLisa Murkowski condemned theRepublican National Committee'scensure of representativesAdam Kinzinger andLiz Cheney for their support of and participation on the House Select Committee tasked with investigating theJanuary 6 United States Capitol attack.[46]
In May 2022, Hutchinson said he would consider running for president in 2024 even if former PresidentDonald Trump ran again and that Trump's candidacy would not be a factor in his decision.[47][31] He added, "I think he did a lot of good things for our country, but we need to go a different direction".[47] On April 2, 2023, during an interview withABC News'Jonathan Karl, Hutchinson announced his candidacy for the2024 Republican Party presidential primaries.[48][49]
Toward the beginning of his campaign Hutchinson distinguished himself as a Trump critic, calling for the former president to drop out of the race after beingindicted by a New York grand jury.[50] After Trump wasindicted by a federal grand jury for mishandling classified documents, Hutchinson criticized other Republican presidential candidates for saying they would pardon Trump if elected.[51] He also rebuked allegations made by fellow Republicans that theDepartment of Justice had been "weaponized" against Trump.[52] Hutchinson came out against the decision by theRepublican National Committee (RNC) to require candidates wishing to participate in the primary debate to sign a loyalty pledge saying they would support the eventual Republican nominee, stating he would not vote for Trump if convicted on federal charges. Because of the debate conditions, Hutchinson organized a meeting between RNC officials and one of his staffers. The staffer, on behalf of Hutchinson, requested that the RNC amend the debate requirements to accommodate Hutchinson's concerns; the RNC rejected his request.[53] Hutchinson ultimately decided to sign the pledge,[54] but when candidates were asked during the debate to raise their hand if they would still support Trump as the party's nominee if he were convicted, he andChris Christie were the only ones not to do so.[55]
Hutchinson failed to make any of the other debates, with his poll numbers remaining at around one percent nationally.[56][57][58] He would drop out of the race on January 16,[59] the day after he earned only 191 votes in theIowa caucuses, fewer votes than every other candidate,[60] including little-known candidateRyan Binkley.[61] Following Hutchinson's withdrawal, theDemocratic National Committee (DNC) issued a statement mocking Hutchinson's campaign, "This news comes as a shock to those of us who could’ve sworn he had already dropped out."[62] The statement elicited condemnation from anti-Trump conservatives who chastised the DNC for attacking someone who shared their opposition to Trump.[63]White House Chief of StaffJeff Zients later called Hutchinson to apologize for the DNC's statement.[62] Days before theNew Hampshire primary, Hutchinson endorsedNikki Haley.[64] After Trump won the primaries, Hutchinson said he planned towrite-in a name for president in the general election, refusing to vote for Trump or Democratic nomineeKamala Harris.[65][66]
Hutchinson has four children with his wife, Susan Burrell.[67]
Hutchinson's older brother,Tim, preceded him asU.S. representative from Arkansas' 3rd congressional district and served as aU.S. senator from 1997 to 2003 before being defeated for reelection by Arkansas Attorney GeneralMark Pryor, aDemocrat, in 2002. Asa and Tim Hutchinson are both graduates ofBob Jones University. Tim Hutchinson's identical twin sons,Jeremy andTimothy Chad Hutchinson, were the first twins to serve together in theArkansas General Assembly, both as members of theHouse of Representatives. Asa Hutchinson is the brother-in-law of former Arkansas state senatorKim Hendren, who in 1958 married his sister Marylea Hutchinson. Arkansas district 2 state senatorJim Hendren ofSulphur Springs is Hutchinson's nephew.[68]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mike Beebe | 430,765 | 55.61% | +8.65% | |
| Republican | Asa Hutchinson | 315,040 | 40.67% | −12.35% | |
| Independent | Rod Bryan | 15,767 | 2.04% | ||
| Green | Jim Lendall | 12,774 | 1.65% | ||
| Write-ins | 334 | 0.04% | |||
| Majority | 115,725 | 14.94% | +8.88% | ||
| Turnout | 774,680 | ||||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | Swing | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Asa Hutchinson | 130,752 | 72.95 | |
| Republican | Curtis Coleman | 48,473 | 27.05 | |
| Total votes | 179,225 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Asa Hutchinson | 470,429 | 55.44% | +21.81% | |
| Democratic | Mike Ross | 352,115 | 41.49% | −22.93% | |
| Libertarian | Frank Gilbert | 16,319 | 1.92% | N/A | |
| Green | Josh Drake | 9,729 | 1.15% | −0.71% | |
| Total votes | 848,592 | 100.0% | N/A | ||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Asa Hutchinson (incumbent) | 145,251 | 69.7 | |
| Republican | Jan Morgan | 63,009 | 30.3 | |
| Total votes | 208,260 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Asa Hutchinson (incumbent) | 582,406 | 65.33% | +9.89% | |
| Democratic | Jared Henderson | 283,218 | 31.77% | −9.72% | |
| Libertarian | Mark West | 25,885 | 2.90% | +0.98% | |
| Total votes | 891,509 | 100.0% | N/A | ||
| Republicanhold | |||||
Former FBI Director William Sessions, former Arkansas U.S. Rep. Asa Hutchinson, a retired Army general and a retired appeals court judge in Washington are among 11 people selected for a task force that will meet for the first time in early January, said Virginia Sloan, a lawyer and president of The Constitution Project.
| Legal offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Larry McCord | United States Attorney for theWestern District of Arkansas 1982–1985 | Succeeded by Michael Fitzhugh |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Bill Clark | Republican nominee forU.S. Senator fromArkansas (Class 3) 1986 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Warren Carpenter | Republican nominee forAttorney General of Arkansas 1990 | Succeeded by Dan Ivy |
| Preceded by Ken Coon | Chair of theArkansas Republican Party 1991–1995 Served alongside:Sheffield Nelson(1991–1992) | Succeeded by Lloyd Stone |
| Preceded by Mike Huckabee | Republican nominee forGovernor of Arkansas 2006 | Succeeded by Jim Keet |
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forGovernor of Arkansas 2014,2018 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromArkansas's 3rd congressional district 1997–2001 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by William Simpkins Acting | Administrator of theDrug Enforcement Administration 2001–2003 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Position established | Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security 2003–2005 | Succeeded by Randy Beardsworth Acting |
| Preceded by | Governor of Arkansas 2015–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theNational Governors Association 2021–2022 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas former Governor | Order of precedence of the United States within Arkansas | Succeeded byas Former Governor |
| Order of precedence of the United States outside Arkansas | Succeeded byas former Governor | |
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