Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. (R)

About The Candidate

Education

    University of Pennsylvania, BA

Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. was born in Palo Alto, Calif, attended the University of Utah and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He was chairman and chief executive officer of Huntsman Family Holdings LLC, the controlling shareholder in a $9.5 billion set of three major chemical manufacturing companies and hundreds of subsidiaries.

He's the oldest nine children of Jon Huntsman, a name familiar to Utah voters and whose wealth is estimated at more than $2 billion. His company invented the McDonald's Big Mac clamshell packaging.

Huntsman has worked for three presidents. Under President Reagan he was a White House staff assistant. Under President George H.W. Bush he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and U.S. Ambassador to Singapore. For President George W. Bush he was Deputy U.S. Trade Representative/U.S. Trade Ambassador.

He also is president and CEO of Huntsman Cancer Foundation and has served on numerous corporate and charitable boards.

He was elected governor in 2004.

He is married to Mary Kaye Huntsman and has six children, including one adopted from China.

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