Asa Hutchinson, 2024 Republican Presidential Candidate, To Join Harvard IOP

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who ran an unsuccessful primary campaign against former U.S. President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination, will headline the Harvard Institute of Politics’ fall 2024 cohort of resident fellows.

Hutchinson’s selection, which was announced by the IOP on Wednesday, marks the second straight semester that the cohort will feature a Republican who briefly challenged Trump for the nomination. He will be joined by five other resident fellows, according to a press release.

The five other fellows include Alejandra Y. Castillo, a former assistant secretary of commerce for economic development in the Biden administration; Betsy Ankney, a Republican political strategist who managed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s unsuccessful bid for president; John Anzalone, the chief pollster for U.S. President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign; Eugene Scott, a host at Axios Live covering political leaders; and Brett A. Rosenberg ’12, a foreign policy expert who served on the National Security Council.

Unlike past classes of IOP fellows that included international leaders, the new fellows have all focused their careers on American politics. Rosenberg, the American national security expert, will likely be the only fellow whose study group will focus on foreign affairs.

Their selection suggests that the IOP is hoping to expand its programming on domestic politics in the run up to the 2024 presidential election, which has already stirred up interest in the IOP and fueled a historic rise in its membership.

Hutchinson said in the press release that he was “honored to have the opportunity this fall to share my experiences and perspectives” at a pivotal moment in U.S. politics.

“The timing is historic with our democracy facing a critical choice this fall as to the direction of our country,” he said.

For eight weeks, the fellows will mentor a cohort of undergraduate students and lead weekly study groups on a range of issues.

Éamon C. C. ÓCearúil ’25 and Summer A. L. Tan ’26, the co-chairs of the IOP’s fellows and study groups program, said they were hopeful that the new cohort of fellows could serve as an example of effective dialogue on Harvard’s campus after a year marked by fierce debates over free speech on campus.

“While this semester will bring renewed challenges to and debates concerning those fundamental rights, we are hopeful that study groups will remain a source of vibrant, productive, and gratifying discussions on Harvard’s campus,” said ÓCearúil and Tan.

IOP Director Setti Warren said the IOP was “thrilled” to learn from the resident fellows “in the final few months of this year’s historic election.”

“Their diverse experiences will no doubt inspire our students to consider careers in public service and prepare them to provide essential political leadership in the months and years ahead,” he added.

The fall 2024 cohort — with its six fellows and zero visiting fellows — is smaller than usual and marks the first cohort in two years that will not have any visiting fellows.

Anzalone, the Biden pollster, said he was “so excited to give back by sharing and mentoring politically active and curious students.”

“During the next three months we will be living the 2024 elections together in real time,” he added. “There is nothing more exciting than that regardless of your political identity.”

—Staff writer William C. Mao can be reached at william.mao@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @williamcmao.

—Staff writer Dhruv T. Patel can be reached at dhruv.patel@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @dhruvtkpatel.