Abby Huntsman departing 'The View' to run father's Utah governor campaign

Abby Huntsman announced she's leaving "The View" to work with her father, Jon Huntsman Jr., during his campaign for governor of Utah on Monday.

The 33 year-old daughter of the former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and former governor of Utah shared the news Monday morning.

"Today, I'm saying good-bye," Huntsman said, adding that it's something she's "thought about a lot."

Along with spending more time with her family, Huntsman will be the senior advisor to her father's campaign. With her father's run for governor already in full swing, Huntsman's final appearance co-hosting "The View" is Friday, Jan. 17.

When Jon Huntsman launched his campaign, he came to his daughter for help, eventually asking her to help run it. Over "The View"'s winter hiatus, she decided with her family to leave the show.

"My No. 1 priority has always been my family, and you taught me the first day I got here," Huntsman said during her announcement. "When you take a step back and you think about life, think about your kids, think about what you want to do every day that just gets you going, and there's no one I believe in more than my own dad right now to run for politics and I get emotional because I do love him so much."

"He believes in me to go help run that," she continued. "I couldn't be more excited to go help someone that I love. It's not often in life that you get these moments to go fight for something that you are so passionate about."

Huntsman joined as co-host of the Emmy® Award-winning daytime talk show in its 22nd season. She got her professional start in television at ABC News while interning at “Good Morning America” and “World News Tonight” in college, then later served as a news desk assistant for ABC News in Washington DC and an assistant booker for “Good Morning America” in New York City.

"I just want to give a big thank you to you guys first and foremost because you guys are friends," Huntsman said to her fellow co-hosts Monday. She also thanked senior vice president for talent, editorial strategy and business affairs Barbara Fedida and president of ABC News James Goldston for "believing in me." She also thanked executive producers Hilary Estey McLoughlin, Candi Carter, Brian Teta and the staff. "No one gets to see, but they are the engine of this show. They make us look good every day," she said.

"I'm so thankful for this opportunity and I'm also very excited about the next chapter, so thank you to all of you."

Huntsman accompanied her father on his campaign trail over the weekend. She captioned her photo of them together on Instagram, "Back to my Utah roots campaigning with this guy. Democracy in action."

Jon Huntsman Jr. is one of the five GOP candidates for governor of Utah. From 2005 to 2009, Huntsman was Governor of Utah and subsequently the ambassador to China. He accepted a position as Ambassador to Russia in 2017.

Hunstman also ran as a candidate in the 2012 presidential race, but withdrew after the New Hampshire Republican primary.

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