Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas, declared on Tuesday that he has no intentions of running for president in 2024.
The announcement came just a day after he officially entered the race and secured a sixth-place position in the pivotal Iowa caucuses.
“My message of being a principled Republican with experience and telling the truth about the current front-runner did not sell in Iowa,” Hutchinson said in a statement.
“I stand by the campaign I ran,” Hutchinson added. “I answered every question, sounded the warning to the GOP about the risks in 2024, and presented hope for our country’s future.”
In Monday’s caucuses, the Republican Party of Iowa disclosed that Hutchinson garnered 191 votes but failed to secure any pledged delegates. Surprisingly, Ryan Binkley, a pastor and businessman from Texas, received a higher number of votes than Hutchinson, despite being less recognized on a national level.
Upon launching his presidential campaign in April, Hutchinson, known for his strong criticism of Trump, openly called for Trump’s withdrawal from the race.
Throughout his eight-year tenure as the governor of Arkansas, Hutchinson faced significant challenges in garnering support, as indicated by FiveThirtyEight’s analysis of national Republican primary polls, where he consistently averaged around 1%.
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has officially dropped out of the Republican primary field: pic.twitter.com/d0tf8fpmuI
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) January 16, 2024