Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was a nominee in the Republican primaries for the 2008 Presidential election. Huckabee dropped out after losing the March 4 Primaries to John McCain. A former pastor, Huckabee had been popular with evangelical voters and had competed for support in this community against Mitt Romney.

The Associated Press reported on June 10, 2009, that during a visit to Iowa, Huckabee told Republicans that only clearly defined conservative policies will be able to bring the party back to power. He warned against adopting a moderate stance, "It's when they move to the mushy middle and get squishy that they get beat."Miami Herald: Huckabee warns Republicans against 'mushy middle' (June 10, 2009)

On June 25, 2009, Huckabee said that Mark Sanford should step down as Governor of South Carolina because of Sanford's sex scandal. "Gov. Mike Huckabee said Sanford should spare himself and his family public scrutiny by stepping down, 'not because of his personal behavior, but for putting his personal behavior above the responsibility for being available to govern and lead in the event of a crisis.' " http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7924853&page=1

Huckabee earned a Bachelor's degree in Religion from Ouachita Baptist University and attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for a short time before getting a job in broadcasting as a televangelist.

In 1993, Huckabee became Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas. Three years later, he was the state's 44th Governor. From 2005-2006, Huckabee served as Chairman of the National Governors Association.