Governor Asa Hutchinson is a former Republican candidate for President of the United States. He served as the 46th Governor of the State of Arkansas and in his last election, he was re-elected with 65 percent of the vote, having received more votes than any other Republican candidate for governor in the State’s history.
Asa Hutchinson’s time as governor is distinguished by his support for Medicaid expansion with accountability and promoting his Healthy Arkansas initiative. Hutchinson stood out during the Pandemic with his daily news briefings educating Arkansans on the risk and what needed to be done.
He also had success in securing over $700 million per year in tax cuts, safeguarding the retirement pay of veterans from state income tax, shrinking the size of state government, creating over 100,000 new jobs and leading a national initiative to increase computer science education.
The Governor’s career in public service began when President Ronald Reagan appointed him as the youngest U.S. Attorney in the nation for the Western District of Arkansas at the age of 31. In 1996, he won the first of three consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his third term in Congress, President George W. Bush appointed Governor Hutchinson to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration and later as the nation’s first Undersecretary of Homeland Security for Border Protection.
As a candidate for President, Hutchinson distinguished himself as a leader who was not afraid to speak his mind and address the tough issues. He campaigned on balancing the federal budget, energy production and enhanced border security.
He is a former Chairman of the National Governors and is currently engaged in teaching, writing and speaking on the importance of the rule of law and civil discourse in our society. Hutchinson also is engaged at the national level on health care issues stressing the importance of science and culture in decision making.
Governor Hutchinson grew up on a small farm near Gravette. He is a graduate of Bob Jones University and the University of Arkansas School of Law. He and his wife, Susan, have been married for over 50 years, and have four children and seven grandchildren.