OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Asa Hutchinson, a former governor of Arkansas, announced on Tuesday that he will not be running for president in 2024.
He announced his candidacy the day after placing sixth in the crucial 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.”
The Republican Party of Iowa reported that he received 191 votes in Monday’s caucuses and did not receive any pledged delegates. A pastor and businessman from Texas named Ryan Binkley received more votes than Hutchinson, who was less well-known nationally.
When Hutchinson, a harsh critic of Trump, began his presidential campaign in April, he urged Trump to withdraw from the race.
According to FiveThirtyEight, Hutchinson, who was governor of Arkansas for eight years, had a hard time gaining support and averaged about 1% in the national Republican primary polls.
Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has officially dropped out of the Republican primary field: pic.twitter.com/d0tf8fpmuI
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) January 16, 2024
🚨Just in: Asa Hutchinson is suspending his 2024 presidential campaign after getting just 0.2% of the vote in the Iowa caucuses. pic.twitter.com/6FVWGGOamX
— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) January 16, 2024
He’s not the only Republican who has dropped out.
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy suspended his 2024 presidential campaign and endorsed Trump after the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses.
Rataswamy, who had no prior political experience when he entered the 2024 race, gained national attention and experienced a brief surge in the polls by advocating popular ideas and repeatedly praising Trump.
Following Monday’s caucuses, in which he was projected to place fourth, Ramaswamy declared the suspension of his presidential campaign.
“It is true that we did not achieve the surprise that we wanted to deliver tonight,” Ramaswamy said. “As of this moment, we are going to suspend this presidential campaign. Earlier tonight, I called Donald Trump to tell him that I congratulated him on his victory. And now, going forward, he will have my full endorsement for the presidency.”
In caucus attendees, Ramaswamy garnered approximately 8% of the vote, trailing behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who finished second and third, respectively, with approximately 20% of the vote. In contrast, Trump broke contested caucus records by receiving over 50% of the vote.
Ramaswamy, who entered the race with virtually no name recognition in February of last year, defeated several prominent Republicans, including former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, South Carolina senator Tim Scott, and former vice president Mike Pence.
Restoring American identity and his call to dismantle the bureaucratic state through a radical reduction in the size of the federal government occupied a significant portion of his campaign.
To distinguish himself from 77-year-old Trump, whom he had frequently hailed as the “greatest president” of all time, the 38-year-old additionally contended that Republicans ought to choose a candidate with “fresh legs.”
Although the Iowa caucuses were not in Ramaswamy’s favor, he did not fail for lack of effort. His political campaign emphasized that he had accomplished the “Full Grassley” feat twice, which entailed a minimum of two visits to each of Iowa’s 99 counties.
And he organized the greatest number of campaign events of any candidate in the Hawkeye State. Ramaswamy, a multimillionaire, funded his campaign in large part by himself.
🚨VIVEK: “As of this moment we are going to be suspending this Presidential campaign… This has to be an America First candidate in that White House… Earlier tonight I called Donald Trump… and now going forward he will have my full endorsement for President.” pic.twitter.com/GdcSzKPf3z
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 16, 2024
