DES MOINES, IOWA — Former Republican Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson was back in Iowa this week, but still not as a presidential candidate. Hutchinson had previously promised that he would make a decision about his 2024 presidential plans by January. But January came and went without a decision. Hutchinson now says to ‘stay tuned’ in April for the announcement.

“I came here in January and people said: ‘There’s really not any hurry to get in. We want to get to know what the message is. We want to know the track record of conservatism'”, Hutchinson said, “Now it has changed so the timetable has moved again. It’s up. I’ve said very clearly that March is for messaging. March is for talking about the issues. April is for making a decision and the announcement. So there will be an announcement in April. So stay tuned for that.”

If Hutchinson does indeed join the race, he admits it will be a unique one with former President Donald Trump also on the ballot. But that could be good for the party.

“I’ve always felt strongly that Republicans deserve to have alternatives. They need to have different messages and different leaders,” Hutchinson said, “It should not be about past grievances … it should be about the people of our country and the solutions leaders offer. I want to offer a very positive vision an optimistic view about what America can be.”