Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee speaks at the National Rifle Association convention in Nashville. (Justin Sullivan, Getty Images)
Mike Huckabee invited folks to come to his hometown of Hope, Ark., on May 5, where he promises to say whether hes going to run for president again in 2016.
The former Arkansas governor announced tonight on Fox News Channel the date of his big reveal. The town of Hope is a symbolic choice for Huckabee, who just happens to hail from the same place where Bill Clinton was born.
I hope people will come to Hope, Arkansas and not just to tour the Bill Clinton birthplace but theres going to be an announcement that day and everybody will know then for sure whether Mike Huckabee is in the race or not, he told Bret Baier of Fox.
Huckabee, who won the 2008 Iowa caucuses, voluntarily quit his Fox News show in January so he could consider another presidential bid. He also formed a presidential exploratory committee earlier this month, according to Bloomberg Politics. In another sign that hes getting his affairs in order before another presidential bid, Huckabee said earlier this week his syndicated radio commentary will end on May 1.
In his interview Friday, Huckabee said it will be important for him to do well in the Iowa caucuses that are scheduled for Feb. 1 and also in the South Carolina primary. Evangelical voters make up a big chunk of the Iowa caucus vote, and the one-time Baptist preacher has strong ties to them.
While Huckabee said momentum is important coming out of the Iowa caucuses, he stopped short of saying it is a must-win state for him.
Huckabee on Saturday will visit New Hampshire, which hosts the first-in-the-nation primary.
Baiers interview with Huckabee is part of his ongoing series, Presidential Contenders: 2016. The full Huckabee interview airs Monday.
Poster Comment:
He'll strip off enough Evangelical votes for Jeb to get the nomination, and Hillary to move into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., again.
One of the megabucks preachers needs to bribe this pinhead, to get lost. It's extortion, but someone's got to pay it.