Huckabee poised to launch second White House bid
HOPE, Arkansas — Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is preparing another bid for the Republican presidential nomination, joining a crowded field of White House hopefuls.
Huckabee, an ordained Baptist minister turned politician, would be the third Republican to enter the race this week. Two political outsiders, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, a black conservative, launched their presidential campaigns on Monday.
Huckabee returns Tuesday to his hometown of Hope, Arkansas - the same small town where former President Bill Clinton was born - to make official what the local newspaper called "the worst kept secret" in the state.
This time Huckabee hopes to expand on the support of evangelical Christians who helped him win eight states in the 2008 primary campaign which he eventually lost to Sen. John McCain. But he is considered an underdog in a field that already includes several seasoned politicians such as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker are expected to launch their bids soon..
Yet while those prospects have claimed much of the early attention and favor from donors, the Republican race is a wide-open contest that could ultimately feature more than 20 major candidates. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former secretary of state and first lady, holds a commanding lead in the race for the Democratic nomination.. Her only declared opponent so far is Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is running to the left of Clinton. (AP)