|
 |
 |
|
Huntsman rules out third-party challenge of Orrin Hatch
Jon Huntsman has ruled out mounting a third-party challenge for incumbent Sen. Orrin Hatch's (R-Utah) seat this fall, but said he might again seek public office at some point in the future.
The former Utah governor dropped out of the 2012 presidential race after failing to gain traction in the Republican field.
“No politics for me,” Huntsman said in an interview with the Salt Lake Tribune. “We gave it our best shot, and now we’re building the base once again in private life.”
Huntsman told the paper he has already taken over as the chairman of his family's cancer foundation and was named to the board of his father's petrochemical company. But he admitted that he might consider another bid at some point in the future.
Many political observers believe that Huntsman might be angling for a high-profile Cabinet position — including, possibly, an appointment as secretary of State in a hypothetical Romney administration. But if President Obama wins reelection, Huntsman could be looking to replicate Romney's path to the nomination, building up a campaign structure and fundraising base over the next four years.
Huntsman told the paper he had no regrets about the campaign — or that his father donated more than a million dollars to an outside political action committee supporting his bid.
“If you can walk away from a presidential campaign with a sense of dignity and your name still intact, and beyond that with the ability to live to fight another day, that’s about all you can ask for,” he said in the interview. “And that’s better than what most people are able to walk away from a presidential campaign with. ... I have zero regrets and only see it as something that was a win-win for our family.”
Huntsman also hinted at a future media gig, though he provided no details to the Tribune.
Most Viewed RSS Feed »
