2011 Ames Straw Poll candidate profile: Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman

Scott Macdonald

Jon Huntsman

R- Utah

Former governor

  • Appointed by President Obama as U.S. ambassador to China in 2009
  • Considered the most moderate candidate on the Straw Poll ballot
  • Has been heavily involved in U.S.- Asian relations in trade and diplomacy since the 1990s
  • Reached an approval rating of 90 percent during his time as governor
  • Is not campaigning in Iowa due to his opposition to ethanol subsidies

Huntsman will not be present at the Straw Poll, but was added to the ballot by the Iowa Republican Party.