Asa Hutchinson facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Asa Hutchinson
Hutchinson in 2023

46th Governor of Arkansas
In office January 13, 2015 – January 10, 2023
Lieutenant	Tim Griffin
Preceded by	Mike Beebe
Succeeded by	Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office July 8, 2021 – July 15, 2022
Vice Chair	Phil Murphy
Preceded by	Andrew Cuomo
Succeeded by	Phil Murphy
Vice Chair of the National Governors Association
In office August 5, 2020 – July 8, 2021
Chair	Andrew Cuomo
Preceded by	Andrew Cuomo
Succeeded by	Phil Murphy
Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security
In office January 23, 2003 – March 1, 2005
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Randy Beardsworth (acting)
8th Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration
In office August 8, 2001 – January 23, 2003
President	George W. Bush
Deputy	John B. Brown III
Preceded by	Donnie R. Marshall
Succeeded by	Karen Tandy
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas's 3rd district
In office January 3, 1997 – August 6, 2001
Preceded by	Tim Hutchinson
Succeeded by	John Boozman
Chair of the Arkansas Republican Party
In office January 1, 1991 – December 31, 1995 Serving with Sheffield Nelson (1991–1992)
Preceded by	Ken Coon
Succeeded by	Lloyd Stone
United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas
In office September 1, 1982 – January 20, 1985
President	Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	Larry McCord
Succeeded by	Michael Fitzhugh

Personal details
Born	William Asa Hutchinson II (1950-12-03) December 3, 1950 (age 74) Bentonville, Arkansas, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Susan Burrell (m. 1973)
Children	4
Relatives	Tim Hutchinson (brother)
Education	Bob Jones University (BA) University of Arkansas (JD)
Signature

William Asa Hutchinson II (born December 3, 1950) is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician. He served as the 46th governor of Arkansas from 2015 to 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party. Before becoming governor, he worked as a U.S. attorney, a U.S. representative, and held two important jobs in the George W. Bush administration. He also ran for president in 2024.

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan chose Hutchinson to be the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. This area includes most of Fort Smith. In 1986, Hutchinson ran for U.S. Senator but lost. Four years later, he lost a race for Attorney General of Arkansas. However, he successfully ran for the House of Representatives in 1996. He represented Arkansas's 3rd congressional district until 2001.

In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed him to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). In 2003, Bush gave Hutchinson another role. He became the Under Secretary for border and transportation security. This was part of the new Department of Homeland Security. Hutchinson left the Bush administration in 2005.

In 2006, Hutchinson ran for governor of Arkansas but lost. He ran again in 2014 and won. He was reelected in 2018. Because of term limits, he could not run for governor again in 2022. Sarah Huckabee Sanders became the next governor.

From 2020 to 2021, Hutchinson was the vice chair of the National Governors Association. He then became the chair of this group from 2021 to 2022. In 2023, he announced he would run for president. He stopped his campaign on January 16, 2024. This was after he did not get many votes in the Iowa caucuses. In April 2024, he started working as a political expert for Scripps News.

Early Life and Legal Career

Hutchinson was born in Bentonville, Arkansas. His parents were Coral Virginia (Mount) Hutchinson and John Malcolm Hutchinson Sr. He earned his bachelor's degree in accounting from Bob Jones University in South Carolina in 1972. He then got his law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1975. He worked as a lawyer in Fort Smith for 21 years. During that time, he handled over 100 jury trials.

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Hutchinson as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. At 31 years old, Hutchinson was the youngest U.S. attorney in the country. He gained national attention for successfully prosecuting a group that had an armed standoff with law enforcement. As U.S. attorney, Hutchinson personally helped end the standoff peacefully.

Early Political Career

Before Congress

In 1986, Hutchinson ran against the current U.S. Senator, Dale Bumpers. He lost this election. In 1990, Hutchinson ran for Attorney General of Arkansas but lost again. After that, he became a co-chair of the Arkansas Republican Party. He held this position from 1991 to 1995. He thought about running against Bumpers again in 1992 but decided not to.

In the U.S. House of Representatives

Asa Hutchinson's 105th Congress portrait

Hutchinson during a press conference on campaign finance reform in 1998

In 1992, Hutchinson's brother, Tim, was elected to Congress. He represented Arkansas's third congressional district. In 1996, Tim decided not to run for the House again. He wanted to run for an open Senate seat instead. Asa Hutchinson then ran for his brother's House seat and won.

Hutchinson defeated Ann Henry in November 1996. Henry was a friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Even though Henry spent more money on her campaign, Hutchinson won. This was partly because the district usually voted Republican. His brother Tim was also on the ballot, which helped. Tim Hutchinson also won his Senate campaign.

In 1998, Hutchinson was reelected to the House easily. He won with 81% of the votes. He was reelected without opposition in 2000. Hutchinson also served as a prosecutor in the impeachment trial of Bill Clinton.

As a representative, Hutchinson focused on conservative ideas. ..... He also helped with the legal process against President Bill Clinton in 1998. In 1999, Hutchinson was involved in changing rules about money in elections. He supported a Senate bill by John McCain and Russ Feingold.

Leading the Drug Enforcement Administration

Hutchinson as Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security

In 2001, when George W. Bush became president, Hutchinson was chosen to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The Senate approved his appointment with a vote of 98 to 1.

Working for Homeland Security

After the September 11 attacks, Congress created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). President Bush asked Hutchinson to lead the Border and Transportation Security division. The Senate approved Hutchinson for this role on January 23, 2003. Hutchinson left this job on March 1, 2005.

After the Bush Administration

Business Work

In early 2005, Hutchinson started a consulting company called Hutchinson Group, LLC. He also took a one-year job with Venable LLP in Washington, D.C. There, he led their Homeland Security practice. Hutchinson left Venable LLP in March 2006 to focus on his campaign for governor. In January 2007, Hutchinson rejoined Venable.

In June 2006, a newspaper reported that Hutchinson's investment in a company he advised, Fortress America Acquisition Corporation, grew a lot. His $2,800 investment became worth over $1 million. Hutchinson said he forgot to list these shares on a financial form he had to file as a candidate. He corrected the mistake the next day.

Other Political Activities

In December 2010, Hutchinson joined a group called The Constitution Project's Guantanamo Task Force. He said it was important for national security.

After a sad event at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) formed a group. This group included experts in safety and law enforcement. Hutchinson led this group. Their goal was to create a plan to make schools safer. On April 2, 2013, he presented the National School Shield plan.

Governor of Arkansas

2006 Election

Hutchinson campaigning for governor in 2006

Soon after returning to Arkansas, Hutchinson announced he would run for governor in 2006. He was going to run against Lieutenant Governor Winthrop Paul Rockefeller. But Rockefeller passed away in early 2006. This led to Hutchinson winning the Republican primary. In the main election, he lost to the Democratic candidate, Mike Beebe.

2014 Election

Hutchinson was the Republican candidate for governor of Arkansas in 2014. He won the Republican primary. On November 4, 2014, he defeated the Democratic candidate, Mike Ross. Hutchinson won with 55% of the votes. This was a very good result for a Republican in an open governor's race. His win also meant the Republican Party controlled the state government completely for the first time in a long time.

2018 Election

Hutchinson was reelected on November 6, 2018. He won by a large amount, getting over 65% of the votes. He won in almost all counties. This was the biggest win for a Republican candidate for governor in Arkansas history.

Time as Governor

Hutchinson greeting Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue in 2017

Hutchinson became governor on January 13, 2015.

Hutchinson meeting with President Donald Trump and Laura Kelly in 2020

Hutchinson meeting with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and a bipartisan group of governors and mayors in 2021

On November 16, 2015, Hutchinson said he would not allow Syrian refugees into Arkansas. This was after the November 2015 Paris attacks.

Under Hutchinson, Arkansas started carrying out executions again in 2017. The state had not done so since 2005. In 2021, DNA tests on evidence from a crime scene did not match a person who was executed. Hutchinson defended the execution.

In March 2017, Hutchinson signed a law. This law stopped Arkansas agencies from working with companies unless they agreed not to boycott Israel.

As governor, Hutchinson made rules for people on Medicaid. They had to work to keep their health insurance. By December 2018, almost 17,000 Arkansans lost their Medicaid health insurance.

In February 2019, Hutchinson signed a bill into law. This bill would make certain healthcare decisions illegal if a major court ruling was changed. On March 9, 2021, he signed another bill about healthcare. He said this bill was meant to encourage the Supreme Court to review current laws. He would have preferred the bill to include exceptions.

In 2015, Hutchinson signed a law that stopped local areas from giving certain protections to people. In March 2021, Hutchinson signed a law that allowed doctors to refuse non-emergency medical treatment based on their beliefs. In April 2021, he vetoed a bill that would make it illegal for young people to receive certain medical care. He called it "a vast government overreach." However, the state legislature later overturned his veto.

In August 2021, Hutchinson signed laws that stopped businesses and government places from requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination. While Arkansas had many COVID-19 cases, he also signed a law that stopped state and local officials from requiring masks. He later said he regretted signing the mask mandate bill. In December 2021, Hutchinson praised President Joe Biden's COVID policies. He thanked Biden for helping with vaccinations. In January 2022, Hutchinson told large businesses not to follow the Biden administration's vaccine requirements.

Hutchinson said that Republicans who tried to change the 2020 presidential election results should not be in leadership roles. He also said that Donald Trump was dividing the party. On February 5, 2022, Hutchinson and U.S. senator Lisa Murkowski criticized the Republican National Committee. This was because the committee punished two representatives for supporting an investigation into the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

After Being Governor

2024 Presidential Campaign

In May 2022, Hutchinson said he would think about running for president in 2024. He said that whether former President Donald Trump ran again would not affect his decision. He added that Trump "did a lot of good things for our country, but we need to go a different direction." On April 2, 2023, Hutchinson announced he was running for president.

Early in his campaign, Hutchinson spoke out against Trump. He called for Trump to leave the race after facing legal challenges. After Trump was charged in a federal case, Hutchinson criticized other Republican candidates. They had said they would pardon Trump if elected. Hutchinson also disagreed with claims that the Department of Justice was unfairly targeting Trump.

Hutchinson did not make it into most of the presidential debates. His poll numbers stayed around one percent nationally. He stopped his campaign on January 16, 2024. This was the day after he received very few votes in the Iowa caucuses. Days before the New Hampshire primary, Hutchinson supported Nikki Haley. After Trump won the primaries, Hutchinson said he planned to write-in a name for president in the general election. He said he would not vote for Trump or Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.

Personal Life

Hutchinson has four children with his wife, Susan Burrell. Hutchinson's older brother, Tim, was also a U.S. representative and later a U.S. senator. Asa and Tim Hutchinson both went to Bob Jones University. Tim Hutchinson's twin sons, Jeremy and Timothy Chad Hutchinson, were the first twins to serve together in the Arkansas General Assembly. Asa Hutchinson is also related to former Arkansas state senator Kim Hendren. Arkansas district 2 state senator Jim Hendren is Hutchinson's nephew.

Electoral History

2006 Arkansas gubernatorial election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Mike Beebe	430,765	55.61%	+8.65%
	Republican	Asa Hutchinson	315,040	40.67%	−12.35%
	Independent	Rod Bryan	15,767	2.04%
	Green	Jim Lendall	12,774	1.65%
	Write-ins		334	0.04%
Majority			115,725	14.94%	+8.88%
Turnout			774,680
	Democrat gain from Republican		Swing

Republican primary for 2014 Arkansas gubernatorial election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Asa Hutchinson	130,752	72.95
	Republican	Curtis Coleman	48,473	27.05
Total votes			179,225	100

2014 Arkansas gubernatorial election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Asa Hutchinson	470,429	55.44%	+21.81%
	Democratic	Mike Ross	352,115	41.49%	−22.93%
	Libertarian	Frank Gilbert	16,319	1.92%	N/A
	Green	Josh Drake	9,729	1.15%	−0.71%
Total votes			848,592	100.0%	N/A
	Republican gain from Democratic

Republican primary for 2018 Arkansas gubernatorial election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Asa Hutchinson (incumbent)	145,251	69.7
	Republican	Jan Morgan	63,009	30.3
Total votes			208,260	100.0

2018 Arkansas gubernatorial election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Asa Hutchinson (incumbent)	582,406	65.33%	+9.89%
	Democratic	Jared Henderson	283,218	31.77%	−9.72%
	Libertarian	Mark West	25,885	2.90%	+0.98%
Total votes			891,509	100.0%	N/A
	Republican hold

Images for kids

Asa Hutchinson's 105th Congress portrait
Hutchinson during a press conference on campaign finance reform in 1998
Hutchinson as Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security
Hutchinson and U.S. Representative Frank Wolf tour a DEA drug testing facility in Northern Virginia in 2001
Hutchinson campaigning for governor in 2006
Hutchinson greeting Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue in 2017
Hutchinson meeting with President Donald Trump and Laura Kelly in 2020
Hutchinson meeting with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and a bipartisan group of governors and mayors in 2021