LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Asa Hutchinson, who recently completed two terms as Arkansas governor, said Sunday he will seek the Republican presidential nomination, positioning himself as an alternative to Donald Trump just days after the former president was indicted by a grand jury in New York.
Hutchinson said Trump should drop out of the race, arguing “the office is more important than any individual person.”
Hutchinson, who announced his candidacy on ABC’s “This Week,” said he was running because “I believe that I am the right time for America, the right candidate for our country and its future.” He added: “I’m convinced that people want leaders that appeal to the best of America and not simply appeal to our worst instincts.”
He is the first Republican to enter the race since Trump became the only former U.S. president to ever face criminal charges. Hutchinson’s candidacy will test the GOP’s appetite for those who speak out against Trump. Others who have criticized Trump, including former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, have opted against a campaign, sensing the difficulty of prevailing in a primary.
Hutchinson, in an Associated Press interview later Sunday, said it was important for voters to have an alternative leader and “not simply go by default to somebody who is really wrapped around what happened in the past.”
“I don’t think you have to be blustery. I think you can be honest and authentic, and that’s what I want to be able to offer,” he said.
In a sign of Trump’s continued grip on the Republican base, most in the party — even those considering challenging him for the nomination — have defended him against the New York indictment. Hutchinson, notably, had said Friday that Trump should “step aside,” calling the charges a “distraction.”
In addition to Trump, Hutchinson joins a Republican field that also includes former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to jump into the race in the summer, while U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Vice President Mike Pence are among those considering bids.
“I think I stand out by stating my convictions and my vision for the country,” Hutchinson told the AP. “I think that is illustrated in the last week, in how I’ve handled the Trump indictment, how I’ve handled how we need to move forward as a party and a country.”
The formal campaign announcement will come April 26 in Bentonville, his hometown and also the home of Walmart’s headquarters. He will be campaigning in the coming weeks in Iowa, Indiana and Kentucky.
He said he could be very competitive in places like Iowa, where campaigning involves “retail politics” like chatting with potential voters in diners. He also said he believed he would be financially competitive, though, “certainly it’s not going to be at the level of the Donald Trumps of the world.”
Hutchinson, 72, left office in January after eight years as governor.