Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., announced over the weekend that he will end his Huckabee show on Fox News and explore running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
Huckabee waged a surprisingly competitive campaign in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries, winning the Iowa caucus. Following his 2008 presidential bid, Huckabee moved to the Florida Panhandle.
The former Arkansas governor is not the only candidate with ties to the Sunshine State looking at running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. Last month, former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., announced he was launching an exploratory bid. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., is considering entering the contest, promising a decision over the first quarter of 2015. Dr. Ben Carson, who moved to South Florida after leaving Johns Hopkins in Maryland, is also contemplating running for president.
"Tonight I will do more than just say goodnight, Huckabee said on Saturday night. I will say goodbye. This is the last edition of 'Huckabee' on the Fox News Channel. It's been the ride of a lifetime, and I have never had so much fun in my life. But I also realize that God hasn't put me on earth just to have a good time or to make a good living, but rather has put me on earth to try to make a good life.
"There has been a great deal of speculation as to whether I would run for president, Huckabee added. If I were willing to absolutely rule that out, I could keep doing this show. But I can't make such a declaration. I won't make a decision about running until late in the spring of 2015, but the continued chatter has put Fox News into a position that is not fair to them, nor is it possible for me to openly determine political and financial support to justify a race. The honorable thing to do at this point is to end my tenure here at Fox. As much as I have loved doing the show, I cannot bring myself to rule out another presidential run. So, as we say in television, stay tuned!"
A favorite of social and religious conservatives, Huckabee broke out of the back of the pack to become one of the top tier candidates in the 2008 presidential primaries, winning the Iowa caucus and seven other state contests. But Huckabee had major problems with fundraising, simply not being able to compete with some of the other top Republican candidates including eventual nominee U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Huckabee placed fourth in the Florida primary, behind McCain, former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Taking 13.5 percent of the vote and winning four counties in North Florida, Huckabee had the support of a number of prominent Florida Republicans including Rubio, two future congressmen in Dan Webster and David Rivera and then-Florida Senate Majority Whip Mike Haridopolos who became Senate president in 2010.
After his presidential bid, Huckabee launched his show on Fox News, hosted a national radio show which lasted two years and pondered another presidential bid in 2012 though he ultimately did not run.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
