By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Saturday, January 3, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R) announced in a statement that he is departing his lucrative job at Fox News to consider running for the Republican nomination for President in 2016.
Governor Huckabee said in a statement, “As much as I have loved doing the show, I cannot bring myself to rule out another Presidential run.”
The former Arkansas Governor announced on Saturday that he is leaving the popular Fox News network after six-and-a-half years as the host of “Huckabee.”
Before his final show, Gov. Huckabee wrote, “Tonight I will do more than just say goodnight. 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.”
Gov. Huckabee continued, “There has been a great deal of speculation as to whether I would run for President. 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!”
In the 2008 Republican Party Primary, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney appeared to be the frontrunner, but a shocking victory in the Iowa Caucus by Governor Huckabee derailed Romney’s frontrunner status. Governor Huckabee did surprisingly well in southern states, including the Alabama Presidential Primary which he won. Arizona Senator John McCain however emerged from the primary season with the most delegates and the eventual Republican nomination. Huckabee did not run in 2012. Governor Romney emerged from a crowded Republican field with the GOP nomination. Both Romney and McCain were defeated by Barack Hussein Obama. President Obama, however, cannot run for another term because of term limits.
In 2008, Alabama State Representative Mary Sue McClurkin (R from Indian Springs) co-chaired Gov. Huckabee’s campaign in Alabama. Rep. McClurkin is campaigning to be the Chair of the Alabama Republican Party.
Huckabee is a Baptist minister with strong ties to social conservatives around the country.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush (R) has recently resigned from all the corporate boards of directors that he serves on, a first step in his own candidacy for President. In polling of Alabama GOP voters by Cygnal over the summer, Governor Bush was the commanding favorite. No Republican Presidential ticket has been successful without a member of the Bush family on the ticket since President Nixon’s reelection in 1972.
