'Stay tuned.' Former GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson aiming to make 2024 decision in first half of the year

WASHINGTON – Republican Asa Hutchinson says he has not made a decision yet about running for president in 2024 but the former Arkansas governor said in an interview he plans to decide in the next several months.

© Manuel Balce Ceneta, AP Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Federal sentencing for crack and powder cocaine, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Hutchinson told USA TODAY he has continued to "seriously consider" a presidential bid as he visits the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina 

"I'll make a decision down the road. Obviously, it'll have to be in the first half of this year. But stay tuned," he said.

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If Hutchinson, who left office earlier this month, decides to run, he could find himself in a crowded GOP field. As many as a dozen other Republicans have toured early contest states.

Former President Donald Trump is the only candidate in either political party who has formally announced a 2024 White House bid.

Hutchinson, 72, said "there is a consensus that there will be alternatives to Donald Trump" and stressed, "I should be in each of those conversations."

"It's important to have a governor that knows how to exercise executive leadership, somebody who's got a record, (at) both the national and state level, of solving problems, and so it takes a little bit of time to get that message out and to develop the support that's needed for that kind of endeavor," he said.

Hutchinson has also served as a member of the U.S. House and as administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration under former President George. W. Bush.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Stay tuned.' Former GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson aiming to make 2024 decision in first half of the year