The lineup of candidates vying for the Republican presidential nomination includes no one who can claim to be a moderate, but that will change next week when Jon Huntsman jumps into the race. Huntsman, who was elected twice as governor of Utah and most recently served as President Obama’s ambassador to China, plans to announce his presidential bid on Tuesday at Liberty State Park in New Jersey, with the Statue of Liberty towering behind him.
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Huntsman chose the same spot where Ronald Reagan stood when he first announced his bid for the presidency more than three decades ago. Huntsman once served as an aide in the Reagan White House, but he is hardly a disciple of the late conservative icon. Huntsman is far more of a centrist on some social and environmental issues, which will distinguish him from the rest of the GOP field but will perhaps make his quest for the Republican nomination more difficult.
“I think he will appeal to more mainstream moderate Republicans who are looking for someone who isn’t that divisive,” said Utah Republican political strategist LaVarr Webb. “I do think he has a real uphill battle to win the nomination given the fact that most of those doing the nominating in the caucus and primaries are pretty conservative and he may not fit the mold they want.”
As governor from 2004 until 2009, Huntsman was notably moderate when it came to his state’s treatment of same-sex couples, announcing support for civil unions in 2009. Huntsman also aligned himself with governors of several other Western states to put implement measures that would cut carbon emissions. Huntsman criticized President George W. Bush in 2007 for his lack of action to reduce global warming, which Huntsman believes is man-made.
But Utah political strategists say Huntsman has a strong record as a conservative on other important issues. He cut state taxes by more than $400 million, and he is staunchly pro-life.
His state was ranked the best managed in the nation by the Pew Research Center.
“I think he has some messages that will go after very conservative people,” said Brian Chapman, a Republican strategist who worked on Huntsman’s 2004 state campaign.
Huntsman’s biggest challenge in the near future will be building name recognition. He ranks last in nearly every poll and garners less than 2 percentage points in the latest Real Clear Politics polling average.
“He has a good reputation in Utah, but he’s not very well known outside the state,” said Matthew Burbank, a political science professor at the University of Utah. “He’s going to have to put a lot of time and effort into helping people get to know who he is.”
Huntsman will also have to defend his decision to work for Obama, a move that will surely repel many conservative voters. Obama tapped Huntsman as ambassador to China as part of an effort to bring Republicans into his administration. Huntsman was a natural choice. He had already served as ambassador to Singapore, had served as a missionary in Taiwan and spoke fluent Chinese.
But with voters focused on the economy and jobs rather than foreign policy issues, Huntsman’s stint in the Obama administration will more likely be a liability in the race for the GOP nomination, experts say.
