NEW YORK—Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, flanked by two large American flags, and standing in front of the Statue of Liberty, officially announced his presidential run today.
Huntsman is the 15th candidate to enter the field this year, and the fifth former governor to take aim at the top spot. Huntsman resigned from his post as United States ambassador to China, serving under President Barack Obama, to put together a campaign.
Speaking to an audience of around 150 people in New Jersey’s Liberty State Park, Huntsman said he respects his fellow candidates and the president, and promised that his campaign would take the high road.
“The question we want the voters to answer is, ‘Who will be the better president’—not who is the better American,” Huntsman said.
Huntsman chose to make his run official at the same location President Reagan announced his 1980 general election campaign.
“He assured us that we could make America great again,” Huntsman said of Reagan.
And “today I stand in his shadow, as well as the shadow of this magnificent monument to our liberty,” he said.
Huntsman talked a lot about liberty and the freedoms Americans enjoy and cherish, and presented himself as the person to help restore our faith in ourselves.
“(We need) leadership that doesn’t promise Washington has all of the solutions to our problems, but rather looks to local solutions from our cities, towns, and states,” he said.
Continuing, and in an obvious dig at his former boss, the newest presidential hopeful said he would offer leadership “that knows that we need more than hope, leadership that knows we need answers.”
He suggested that to “avert disaster” we must “make hard decisions” about Medicare, Social Security, and the national debt.
Offering little in the way of specifics, Huntsman said that if elected he would flatten the tax code and regulatory framework to get the economy moving again. He also mentioned the need to “seize the lost opportunity of energy independence.”
“We can and will own the future,” he said.
Background and Credentials
As governor of Utah, Huntsman earned recognition for running the “Best Managed State in America,” in an annual ranking conducted by The Pew Center for the States. Huntsman referred to this success in his speech.
His open regulatory policies, and lowering of the corporate tax rate from 7 percent to 5 percent, resulted in businesses like Goldman Sachs expanding its offices in Utah. Adobe, Oracle, and eBay have also announced expansions in the last couple of years.
Employment went up 1.5 percent annually for five years prior to 2009, when Huntsman resigned to take up his post in China.
Huntsman is considered a positive, centrist candidate—pro business, but moderate and outspoken on environmental issues. In the past he partnered with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on energy efficiency initiatives, and on recognizing climate change, moves which have earned him criticism from within his party.
He has served in the administrations of four United States presidents, including as a White House staff assistant for Ronald Reagan, and deputy assistant secretary of Commerce under George H.W. Bush.
Under George W. Bush, as deputy United States Trade representative, Huntsman helped launch the Doha round of trade talks in 2001, and helped guide the ascension of China to the WTO.
Huntsman earned fame in China during the recent Jasmine movements by being captured on video at a large protest in Beijing. Chinese officials reportedly blocked Huntsman’s Chinese names to prevent citizens from viewing the video, which was posted online.
Huntsman and his wife, Mary Kaye Huntsman, have seven children—the youngest two girls adopted from India and China, respectively.
The Huntsman family has been in Utah for over seven generations, tracing its roots to the state’s first Mormon pioneers.
Huntsman’s father, Jon M. Huntsman Sr., founded the Huntsman Container Corporation in 1970. He designed and manufactured a number of popular fast-food containers.
Huntsman is the 15th candidate to enter the field this year, and the fifth former governor to take aim at the top spot. Huntsman resigned from his post as United States ambassador to China, serving under President Barack Obama, to put together a campaign.
Speaking to an audience of around 150 people in New Jersey’s Liberty State Park, Huntsman said he respects his fellow candidates and the president, and promised that his campaign would take the high road.
“The question we want the voters to answer is, ‘Who will be the better president’—not who is the better American,” Huntsman said.
Huntsman chose to make his run official at the same location President Reagan announced his 1980 general election campaign.
“He assured us that we could make America great again,” Huntsman said of Reagan.
And “today I stand in his shadow, as well as the shadow of this magnificent monument to our liberty,” he said.
Huntsman talked a lot about liberty and the freedoms Americans enjoy and cherish, and presented himself as the person to help restore our faith in ourselves.
“(We need) leadership that doesn’t promise Washington has all of the solutions to our problems, but rather looks to local solutions from our cities, towns, and states,” he said.
Continuing, and in an obvious dig at his former boss, the newest presidential hopeful said he would offer leadership “that knows that we need more than hope, leadership that knows we need answers.”
He suggested that to “avert disaster” we must “make hard decisions” about Medicare, Social Security, and the national debt.
Offering little in the way of specifics, Huntsman said that if elected he would flatten the tax code and regulatory framework to get the economy moving again. He also mentioned the need to “seize the lost opportunity of energy independence.”
“We can and will own the future,” he said.
Background and Credentials
As governor of Utah, Huntsman earned recognition for running the “Best Managed State in America,” in an annual ranking conducted by The Pew Center for the States. Huntsman referred to this success in his speech.
His open regulatory policies, and lowering of the corporate tax rate from 7 percent to 5 percent, resulted in businesses like Goldman Sachs expanding its offices in Utah. Adobe, Oracle, and eBay have also announced expansions in the last couple of years.
Employment went up 1.5 percent annually for five years prior to 2009, when Huntsman resigned to take up his post in China.
Huntsman is considered a positive, centrist candidate—pro business, but moderate and outspoken on environmental issues. In the past he partnered with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on energy efficiency initiatives, and on recognizing climate change, moves which have earned him criticism from within his party.
He has served in the administrations of four United States presidents, including as a White House staff assistant for Ronald Reagan, and deputy assistant secretary of Commerce under George H.W. Bush.
Under George W. Bush, as deputy United States Trade representative, Huntsman helped launch the Doha round of trade talks in 2001, and helped guide the ascension of China to the WTO.
Huntsman earned fame in China during the recent Jasmine movements by being captured on video at a large protest in Beijing. Chinese officials reportedly blocked Huntsman’s Chinese names to prevent citizens from viewing the video, which was posted online.
Huntsman and his wife, Mary Kaye Huntsman, have seven children—the youngest two girls adopted from India and China, respectively.
The Huntsman family has been in Utah for over seven generations, tracing its roots to the state’s first Mormon pioneers.
Huntsman’s father, Jon M. Huntsman Sr., founded the Huntsman Container Corporation in 1970. He designed and manufactured a number of popular fast-food containers.
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