Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson's extraordinarily ordinary presidential bid
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.

Asa Hutchinson speaks during the Florida Freedom Summit last Nov. 4. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
"Asa's Normal Express" — a push by the campaign of former governor Asa Hutchinson to convince Iowa voters there's an alternative to Donald Trump — launches tomorrow in Des Moines.
- "People are looking for normal after the chaos that we've had … I offer normal. I'm sort of building on that," Hutchinson told Axios a few days before Christmas.
Driving the news: The GOP's Iowa caucus, which historically serves as a culling point of presidential candidates, is Jan. 15.
Why it matters: President Biden and former President Trump remain frontrunners for a potential historic rematch, Axios' Erin Doherty writes. But spoiler candidates and Republicans attracting anti-Trump voters and funding have brought an edge to primary season.
State of play: Hutchinson, a former DEA administrator and Homeland Security undersecretary, continues his dogged dark-horse pursuit for the Republican nomination. He faces dwindling funds, lack of national name recognition and is polling at less than 1% — dead last — against five others. "Obviously, I'm a longshot candidate," he said.
- Yes, but: He talks of the race as a marathon rather than a sprint. "There is a path [to the White House] and the path is through Iowa and the path reflects the unpredictability of [this] year."
Unpredictability has come in the form of Trump's legal challenges, Hutchinson's own headwinds and unknowables from the other candidates.
Reality check: When asked about dropping out of the race so voters could more easily back a single candidate to defeat Trump, Hutchinson says it won't work that way — at least at the moment.
- Pointing to a recent Des Moines Register/NBC News poll, Trump's favorable numbers increased after Mike Pence, Doug Bergrum and Tim Scott dropped out of the race.
- "That's irrefutable data that shows the consolidation of the candidates is not the winning strategy for somebody who wants to beat Donald Trump," he said.
Between the lines: Voters are telling Hutchinson that the economy and border security are their top priorities. He's managed both — balancing Arkansas' budget for eight years and serving two years as undersecretary for Homeland Security.
Quick take: He also has an eye on world affairs.
- Hutchinson believes the U.S. should continue to support Ukraine in its war against Russia and back Israel in its objective of eliminating Hamas.
- He'd like to see increased attention on border security. If elected, he would look to convene the governors of border states and collaborate with Mexico to address the issue.
- The biggest threat to the U.S. is China, he said, because of its size and how it's aligning with Russia and Iran.
The bottom line: Hutchinson hopes his experience governing a rural and agricultural state, federal border security and his no-nonsense approach will resonate with Iowa voters leading up to the caucus.
What he's saying: "People look at me and say, 'Well, you're not chaotic … you're not flamboyant,'" he said.
- "Yes, I'm normal."
What's next: A meet and greet is scheduled for 6pm tomorrow in Des Moines; others in Sioux City, Muscatine and Waterloo will follow.
- See the full, updated schedule.
