Hutchinson was born in 1949, in Gravette, Arkansas. He graduated from Springdale High School, and has a Masters Degree in Political Science from the University of Arkansas.

Hutchinson taught History at John Brown University as well as co-owning and managing KBCV radio in Bentonville from 1982-1989.

He served in the Arkansas State House of Representatives from 1985-1992. He was then elected to represent Arkansas' Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served two terms starting in 1992. He was sworn into his first Senate term in 1997.

His Committees:

• United States Senate Committee on the Armed Forces
• United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
• United States Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs
• United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry
• Special Committee on Aging