Jon Huntsman 2012 presidential campaign
The Jon Huntsman presidential campaign of 2012 began in mid-2011 when Ambassador and former Governor of Utah Jon Huntsman, Jr. announced his candidacy for the Republican Party (GOP) nomination for President of the United States in the 2012 election. On May 3, 2011, Huntsman announced his intentions to file a political action committee with the Federal Election Commission (named "H-PAC"). Subsequently, Huntsman announced on June 14, 2011, he was running for president and made an official announcement in Liberty State Park one week later on June 21.
| Jon Huntsman for President | |
|---|---|
| Campaign | 2012 United States presidential election |
| Candidate | Jon Huntsman, Jr. Governor of Utah (2005–2009) Ambassador to China (2009–2011) |
| Affiliation | Republican Party |
| Status | Suspended, January 16, 2012 |
| Headquarters | Manchester, New Hampshire |
| Key people | Matt David (manager) Neil Ashdown (Dep. Manager) Conyers Davis (Operations Director) John Weaver (advisor) Whit Ayers (Pollster) |
| Receipts | US$8,919,959 (2012-06-30) |
| Slogan | Country First |
| Website | |
| Official Campaign website | |
Huntsman sought to establish himself as an anti-negative candidate and take the "high road". In his announcement, he also stated "I don't think you need to run down someone's reputation in order to run for the office of President." Huntsman aggressively touted himself as a fiscal conservative, pledging considerable business and personal tax cuts as well as a foreign policy moderate, calling for a decrease in defense spending and withdrawal from Afghanistan, while increasing pressure on Iran and support for Israel.
Huntsman announced his withdrawal from the race on January 16, 2012, prior to the South Carolina primary and endorsed eventual nominee Mitt Romney.