Mike Huckabee

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Mike Huckabee (24 August 1955- ) is the former Republican Governor of the State of Arkansas and is currently a Republican candidate for president.

Former Arkansas Gov. and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.

Mike Huckabee was born on 24 August 1955 in Hope, Arkansas. Huckabee was elected Governor of Arkansas Boys State in 1972.

Huckabee graduated magna cum laude from Ouachita Baptist University. He attended Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Huckabee was pastor of Baptist churches in Arkadelphia, Texarkana, and Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He was president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention from 1989 to 1991. He also served as President of a television station.

In 1993 Huckabee was elected to the post of Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas. Huckabee, as the only Republican in statewide office expanded the part-time position and actively used it as a platform to reach the public. Huckabee and Democratic leaders, particularly the Secretary of State in charge of the Capitol, clashed over his office location, access, and even the office furniture. Huckabee was reelected as Lieutenant Governor in 1994.

On July 15 1996 he was sworn in as Governor of Arkansas to fill the vacancy created by Governor Jim Guy Tucker's resignation due to a felony conviction in the Whitewater scandal. This was a dramatic moment for Arkansas as Tucker at first resigned, and then rescinded his resignation as Huckabee was preparing to be sworn in. For a short while the event had the makings of a constitutional crisis not seen in Arkansas since the Brooks-Baxter War in the 19th century. Huckabee remained calm and won praise for his handling of the situation from both citizens and state leaders of both parties. Within a few hours Tucker reinstated his resignation and Huckabee was sworn in.

Soon after taking office Huckabee signed legislation creating a health insurance program designed to provide insurance to children of families who could not qualify for Medicaid but could not afford private insurance. He signed legislation to cut taxes, and simplified the automobile registration procedure which had long been a source of complaint from the average citizen.

In November of 1998, Huckabee was elected to a full four-year term. At the start of his second term Arkansas had the lowest rated road and highway system in the nation. Huckabee led a successful public relations campaign for a massive bond program to pay for major road reconstruction. This campaign drew praise because Arkansas voters had traditionally shied away from public debt having experienced a major bond scandal that affected the state's finances for the latter half of the 19th century.

In 2002 Huckabee also led a widely praised campaign to convince the public to funnel state tobacco settlement revenues into the state's healthcare system rather than into the general fund.

In November of 2002 he was reelected to another four-year term. He was made the chair of the Southern Governors' Association in 1999 and served in that capacity through 2000. He has chaired the Southern Growth Policies Board.

In 2003 the courts in Arkansas declared that the state's school funding procedure was unconstitutional and ordered the state to produce a fair system. Huckabee proposed a controversial plan that would consolidate many of the state's smaller school districts. This plan had the earmarks of Huckabee's earlier successful public relations campaigns on major issues. School consolidation, however, is very unpopular in rural Arkansas and may be the "third rail" of Arkansas politics. Huckabee has come under intense fire for his sweeping plan from political opponents and local school superintendents. Some members of his own conservative base are opposed to the plan. During the 2003 session of the legislature no real forward progress was made on this effort and the court order has not yet been satisfied.

During his three terms Huckabee has proven a popular politician but has also drawn considerable criticism from opponents and supporters alike on some issues. After the 2000 Presidential elections Huckabee was criticized widely for referring to his own state's electoral process as worthy of a "Banana Republic" while speaking on an irreverant out of state radio program.

Huckabee has also made use of his authority as Governor to pardon or commute the sentences of felons. The most famous of these was Wayne Dumond, a convicted rapist. Dumond has been accused of murdering a woman in Missouri soon after being pardoned in Arkansas. This event led to intense criticism of Huckabee's commutation policies by the press and by some victim's rights groups.

Political opponents have often criticized his former career as a Baptist minister and he has been dubbed "Bro-Gov" by some wags. For a time, the Governor lived in a "double-wide" house trailer on the grounds of the Governor's Mansion while it underwent renovation which played into common stereotypes of rural Arkansas. All of these events naturally provided an opening for his opponents to make light of him and his administration. The press has also questioned Huckabee on gifts he received while Governor and an instance of alleged influence over a political programming decision at the state's public television system.

During the 2002 elections his wife, Janet Huckabee, ran unsuccessfully for Secretary of State and both received criticism for the dual election effort.

While in office, Huckabee has authored three books, a memoir, Character is the Issue, a book about juvenile violence called Kids Who Kill, and Living Beyond Your Lifetime which is a guide for leaving a personal legacy. He is an avid outdoorsman, an enthusiasm he shares with his wife Janet.

Huckabee was one of Arkansas longest serving governors, but was ineligible to run for another term due to term limits.

Huckabee announced his run for the White House on Meet the Press on January 28 2007.^[1]

At the August 11 Iowa Straw Poll, Huckabee took second place with 2,587 votes, roughly 18 percent.^[2] Huckabee spent $57.98 per vote in the Straw Poll, which is the lowest among the top three finishers.^[3] Huckabee drew attention with an unconventional ad featuring Chuck Norris.^[4] In a later ad Huckabee wished voters a merry Christmas, and said that "what really matters is the celebration of the birth of Christ."^[5] Critics accused him of exploiting the issue of religion, which he denied.^[6][7] According to the Associated Press, on NBC's Meet The Press on December 31 2007, Huckabee "stood by" a 1998 comment in which he said, "I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ." Huckabee told NBC that his comment was "appropriate to be said to a gathering of Southern Baptists."^[8]

On January 3, 2008, Huckabee won the Iowa Republican caucuses, receiving 34% of the electorate and 17 delegates, compared to the 25% of Mitt Romney who finished second, receiving 12 delegates, Fred Thompson who came in third place and received three delegates, John McCain who came in fourth place and received three delegates and Ron Paul who came in fifth place and received two delegates.

On January 8, 2008, Huckabee finished in third place in the New Hampshire primary, behind John McCain in first place, and Mitt Romney who finished second, with Huckabee receiving one more delegate for a total of 18 delegates, gained via elections, and 21 total delegates, verses 30 total (24 via elections) for Romney, and 10 for McCain (all via elections).

On January 15, 2008, Huckabee finished in third place in the Michigan Republican primary, 2008, behind John McCain in second place, Mitt Romney who finished first and ahead of Ron Paul who finished in fourth place.^{[9] [10]}

On January 19, 2008, Huckabee finished in second place in the South Carolina Republican primary, 2008, behind John McCain who finished first and ahead of Fred Thompson who finished third. ^[11]

On January 29, 2008, Huckabee finished in fourth place in the Florida primary, behind Rudy Guliani in third, Mitt Romney in second, and John McCain in first place.

On February 5, 2008, Huckabee won the first contest of "Super Tuesday", the West Virginia GOP state convention, winning 52% of the electorate to Mitt Romney's 47%. ^[12] Backers of rival John McCain threw him their support to prevent Mitt Romney from capturing the winner-take-all GOP state convention vote.^[13] Huckabee also registered victories in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Tennessee on Super Tuesday, bringing his delegate count up to 156, compared to 689 for Republican party front-runner John McCain^[14].

On February 9, 2008, Huckabee won the first election following Super Tuesday, by winning 60% of the vote in the Kansas Republican Caucuses.^[15] This was also the first contest to be held with out Mitt Romney, who was said to be splitting the conservative vote with Huckabee and some pundits suggested it was the reason for Huckabee's landslide victory.^[16] Huckabee also won the Louisiana Republican Primary with 44% of the vote to John McCain's 43% in second. Although Huckabee won the primary he was not awarded any delegates, because of the state party rules that state a candidate must pass the 50% threshold to receive the state's pledged delegates.^[17]

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