Jon Huntsman Jr. Bio
Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. (born March 26, 1960) is an American politician, businessman, and diplomat. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009 and has been appointed United States Ambassador three times: to Singapore (1992–1993), to China (2009–2011), and to Russia (2017–2019). Huntsman ran for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination and later sought the Utah governorship again in 2020. He is recognized for his expertise on Asia, his moderate-conservative political stances, and his service on multiple corporate and policy boards.
Throughout his career, Huntsman has worked in the public and private sectors, including roles as a White House staff assistant, Deputy United States Trade Representative, and chief executive of Huntsman Family Holdings. He has also chaired the Huntsman Cancer Foundation and the Atlantic Council. Huntsman remains active in bipartisan foreign-policy and fiscal-policy discussions, with a particular focus on United States relations in the Asia-Pacific region.
Early Life and Background
Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. was born on March 26, 1960, in Redwood City, California, and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is the son of Jon Huntsman Sr., a business executive who later built the Huntsman Corporation into one of the largest petrochemical companies in the United States, and Karen (née Haight) Huntsman, daughter of David B. Haight, an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Through his father, Huntsman is a great-great-great-grandson of early Latter-day Saints leader Parley P. Pratt. He has eight brothers and sisters.
Huntsman earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1975, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America. He attended Highland High School in Salt Lake City, where he developed a lifelong love of music and played keyboards in a rock band called Wizard. He later left high school before graduating to perform with the band, eventually obtained a G.E.D., and enrolled at the University of Utah. He also studied Chinese at National Taiwan Normal University and served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Taiwan before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in international politics in 1987.
Path to US Politics
Huntsman’s path into public service began during his teenage years, when he visited the White House in 1971 while his father served as a special assistant to President Richard Nixon. The experience, including a brief conversation with National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, helped spark his interest in government and international affairs. After completing his education, he joined the Reagan administration in 1983 as a White House staff assistant, beginning a career in public service that has spanned more than four decades.
During the 1988 presidential election, Huntsman served as a state delegate to the 1988 Republican National Convention. He also served as co-director of Reagan’s campaign in Utah alongside Enid Greene Mickelsen. After his time in the Reagan White House, he and his family moved to Taipei, Taiwan, from 1987 to 1988 to support his continuing church and professional commitments, an experience that later helped shape his deep expertise in Asian affairs. In January 2001, after George W. Bush took office, Huntsman was appointed one of two Deputy United States Trade Representatives, a position he held from 2001 to 2003.
Jon Huntsman Jr. Career
Early Career (1983–2004)
Following his role as a White House staff assistant in the Reagan administration, Huntsman continued in government service under President George H. W. Bush, serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the International Trade Administration from 1989 to 1990, and then as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 1990 to 1991. In June 1992, President Bush appointed him United States Ambassador to Singapore. He was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in August 1992, becoming the youngest United States Ambassador to serve in more than 100 years at just 32 years old.
After returning from Singapore in 1993, Huntsman transitioned into the private sector, serving as an executive for the Huntsman Corporation, chairman of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, and chief executive of Huntsman Family Holdings Company until 2001. He then returned to public service in 2001 when President George W. Bush appointed him one of two Deputy United States Trade Representatives, a role he held until 2003. During this time, he launched global trade negotiations in Doha in 2001 and helped guide China’s accession into the World Trade Organization. In March 2003, he resigned from the Bush administration.
Utah Governor Era (2005–2009)
After Governor Mike Leavitt announced he would not seek re-election in 2004 in order to become Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Huntsman filed papers to run for Governor of Utah. In the June 2004 Republican primary, he defeated State Representative Nolan Karras 66–34%, and in November 2004 he was elected with 58% of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee Scott Matheson Jr. He was sworn in as the 16th Governor of Utah in January 2005.
As governor, Huntsman maintained consistently high approval ratings, reaching 90% at times, and left office with approval ratings above 80%. Utah was named the best-managed state in America by the Pew Center on the States. In 2008, Huntsman won re-election with 77.7% of the vote, defeating Democratic nominee Bob Springmeyer and carrying every single county in Utah. During his tenure, he served as chair of the Western Governors Association and joined the executive committee of the National Governors Association.
Ambassador to China Era (2009–2011)
On May 16, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Huntsman to serve as United States Ambassador to China, citing his regional experience and proficiency in Mandarin Chinese. The Senate unanimously confirmed him on August 7, 2009, and he was sworn in on August 11, 2009, formally resigning as governor. He arrived in Beijing on August 21, 2009, and delivered his first press conference the following day. He is the only American to have served as ambassador to both China and Russia.
During his time in Beijing, Huntsman drew on his longstanding ties to the Asia-Pacific region, having lived in Taiwan as a Mormon missionary and studied at National Taiwan Normal University. He repeatedly called for continued United States engagement with China on issues such as North Korea’s nuclear program, Taiwan, human rights, and Tibet. In February 2011, he made a controversial appearance at the site of a planned pro-democracy protest in Beijing, which the United States Embassy said was an unplanned family outing. He resigned effective April 30, 2011, to explore a presidential bid.
Ambassador to Russia Era (2017–2019)
On March 8, 2017, it was reported that Huntsman had accepted a position as United States Ambassador to Russia under President Donald Trump. The Senate unanimously confirmed him by voice vote on September 28, 2017. During his confirmation hearings, he stated that the Russian government had interfered in the 2016 United States election and described the United States-Russia relationship as among the most consequential and complex foreign policy challenges facing the country.
As ambassador, Huntsman reported having access to senior Russian officials, which he said was not always the case during his ambassadorship to China. He emphasized a clear-eyed, realistic approach to the relationship and warned against repeated attempts to reset relations. He submitted his resignation on August 6, 2019, with the resignation taking effect on October 3, 2019, after which he returned to the United States and later mounted a campaign for governor.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Huntsman’s career was his unanimous confirmation as United States Ambassador to China in 2009, a post that highlighted his unique blend of diplomatic experience, language skills, and personal connections to Asia. His 2008 gubernatorial re-election, in which he carried every county in Utah, remains one of the most lopsided victories in the state’s modern political history. He is the only American to have served as ambassador to both China and Russia, a distinction that reflects decades of service across four United States presidential administrations from Ronald Reagan through Donald Trump’s first term.
Jon Huntsman Jr. Career Wins
Jon Huntsman Jr. has compiled a long record of political and diplomatic achievements across four decades of public service. He is a two-time elected Governor of Utah, a three-time United States Ambassador, and a former candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. He has also been recognized with eleven honorary doctorate degrees, the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award, and recognition as a Significant Sig by Sigma Chi.
Electoral Highlights
Huntsman first won elected office in 2004, defeating State Representative Nolan Karras 66–34% in the Republican primary before winning the general election with 58% of the vote against Democrat Scott Matheson Jr. In 2008, he won re-election with 77.7% of the vote, carrying every single county in Utah and becoming one of the most popular governors in the country. He sought the Republican nomination for president in 2012, finishing third in the New Hampshire primary before endorsing Mitt Romney.
Other Wins and Achievements
Beyond elections, Huntsman was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate to three ambassadorial posts: to Singapore in 1992, to China in 2009, and to Russia in 2017. He was also named chairman of the Atlantic Council in 2014, appointed to the board of directors of the Ford Motor Company in 2012, joined the board of Caterpillar Inc. in 2012, and served on the board of directors of Chevron Corporation from 2014 to 2017 and again from September 2020.
Jon Huntsman Jr. Family
Family Background and Public Service Lineage
Huntsman is the son of Jon Huntsman Sr., a billionaire business executive who founded the Huntsman Corporation, and Karen (née Haight) Huntsman, whose father David B. Haight was an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Through his father, Huntsman descends from Parley P. Pratt, an early leader of the Latter-day Saints movement. Huntsman is distantly related to former Massachusetts Governor and 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney; the two have been described as political rivals at times and occasional collaborators on foreign policy and trade issues.
Personal Life
Huntsman has been married to activist Mary Kaye (Cooper) since 1983, and the couple has seven children: daughters Mary Anne (b. 1985), Abigail (b. 1986), Elizabeth, nicknamed Liddy (b. 1988), Gracie Mei (b. 1999, adopted from China), and Asha Bharati (b. 2006, adopted from India), and sons Jon III (b. 1990) and William (b. 1993), both graduates of the United States Naval Academy serving on active duty. Huntsman is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has described himself as more spiritual than religious, while still affirming his faith. Outside of politics, he enjoys riding motocross, has supported outdoor sports and tourism in Utah, and has been a lifelong fan of progressive rock.