Republican candidates - Jon Huntsman
- Published
As the first votes of the primary season approach, the BBC looks at the Republican candidates hoping to stand against President Barack Obama in November.
Jon Huntsman
The former governor of Utah joined the race for the Republican presidential nomination with a distinct, if awkward, qualification: he worked for the other side.
As ambassador to China for two years under President Barack Obama, he has arguably the most foreign policy expertise of the Republican field.
But in a campaign driven by economic anxiety and disdain for Mr Obama, he has struggled to rise from the bottom of the pack in the polls and in fundraising.
Mr Huntsman, 51, is the son of billionaire Jon Huntsman Sr, who founded a large chemical manufacturer.
He dropped out of high school to play keyboard in a rock band, later finishing school and graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. He also served as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan, ambassador to Singapore under George Bush Sr, and is said to speak fluent Mandarin.
See a full profile of Jon Huntsman.
Story of the polls
Find out more about all those running for the Republican presidential nomination on our candidates' pages.
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