By: Dixon C. Land
Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee officially suspended his campaign for President Tuesday morning following the announcement of the Iowa Republican Primary results Monday evening. Governor Huckabee received 3,345 votes (2 percent) in the primary.
“I have no regrets about the effort because it’s never our responsibility to determine the results, but to be faithful to the task before us,” he said in a letter to his supporters on Facebook Tuesday morning. “I have suspended my campaign, but not my desire to see America protect all human life, reward those who work hard and give our veterans and seniors what they have paid the price to earn.”
Governor Huckabee announced his candidacy for President May 5, 2015 in front of a large audience at the University of Arkansas Community College in his hometown of Hope, Ark.
During his 2008 bid for President, Huckabee won the Iowa Republican Caucus and finished second in the delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won behind John McCain and Mitt Romney. Following his run for President in 2008, Huckabee hosted the talk show “Huckabee” on Fox News.
Huckabee served as pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Pine Bluff from 1980 to 1986 and then Beech Street Baptist Church in Texarkana from 1986 to 1992. He also served as president of the Arkansas Southern Baptist Convention from 1989 to 1991.
In 1993, Huckabee earned his first political position by winning a special election with 51 percent of the vote for lieutenent governor following Bill Clinton’s successful run for president.
In May of 1996, amidst the Whitewater scandal, Huckabee was sworn in as governor following former Governor Jim Guy Tucker’s resignation. He held the office until 2007. Governor Huckabee is the third-longest tenured governor in Arkansas history.
Governor Huckabee is a magna cum laude graduate of Ouachita.
“I am blessed with an incredibly supportive wife and family who never wavered in their confidence in me. Our campaign staff was amazing—they gave it their all with competence, compassion and a spirit of teamwork that I will forever cherish. Our effort didn’t fall short due to lack of effort and expertise from our team,” Huckabee said.
“While I truly wish the results were different, I would rather lose with honor than win without it. Thank you so much for your prayers, your sacrifices of time and money and your tireless efforts for our campaign,” he concluded.
