Mike Huckabee facts for kids

Mike Huckabee
The Honorable ; Mike Huckabee
44th Governor of Arkansas
	In office; July 15, 1996 – January 8, 2007
Lieutenant	Winthrop P. Rockefeller (1996–2006); Vacant (2006-07)
Preceded by	Jim Guy Tucker
Succeeded by	Mike Beebe
12th Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas
	In office; November 20, 1993 – July 15, 1996
Governor	Jim Guy Tucker
Preceded by	Jim Guy Tucker
Succeeded by	Winthrop Paul Rockefeller
Chairman of the National Governors Association
	In office; 2005–2006
Preceded by	Mark Warner
Succeeded by	Janet Napolitano
Personal details
Born	Michael Dale Huckabee ; August 24, 1955 (age 64); Hope, Arkansas, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Janet Huckabee
Children	John Mark, David, and Sarah
Residence	Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, U.S.
Alma mater	Ouachita Baptist University; Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Profession	Politician, author, public speaker, & ordained minister
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Michael Dale "Mike" Huckabee (born August 24 1955) is a former governor of the U.S. state of Arkansas. He was governor from 1996 to 2007. He is a Republican. He is also a Southern Baptist minister. He wanted to be President of the United States in the 2008 election, but did not get picked by his party.

Early life

Huckabee was born in Hope, Arkansas. His parents were Mae Elder and Dorsey Huckabee. He studied at Ouachita Baptist University and at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Governor of Arkansas (1996-2007)

In 1996, incumbent Democratic governor Jim Guy Tucker was convicted of fraud. Within a few hours, Tucker reinstated his resignation after Huckabee threatened to initiate impeachment proceedings against Tucker. Huckabee was sworn in as Governor of Arkansas on July 15, 1996.

In November 1998, Huckabee was elected to a full four-year term by defeating retired Colonel Gene McVay in the primary and Jonesboro attorney Bill Bristow in the general election, becoming the state's third elected Republican Governor since Reconstruction.

In November 2002, Huckabee was reelected to his second four-year term by defeating State Treasurer Jimmie Lou Fisher, garnering 53 percent of the vote. His reelection came despite the defeat in the general election of fellow Republican U.S. Senator Tim Hutchinson. By the end of his term, Huckabee held the third-longest tenure of any Arkansas Governor. Only Democrats Orval Faubus, who served six consecutive two-year terms (1955–1967), and Bill Clinton, who served 11 years, 11 months (1979–1981; 1983–1992), had longer tenures.

During his time as a governor Huckabee raised taxes 21 times for a net tax increase of $505 million.

2008 presidential campaign

Huckabee announced his run for the White House on Meet the Press on January 28, 2007. He lost the Republican primaries to John McCain.

2016 presidential campaign

Main page: Mike Huckabee presidential campaign, 2016

On May 5, 2015, Huckabee announced that he will seek the 2016 Republican nomination for President of the United States. It will be his second run for the U.S. presidency. He suspended his campaign on February 1, 2016.

Personal life

After 2008, he began hosting a news talk show on the Fox News television channel. The show, called Huckabee, ran until 2015 when Huckabee retired. He has also written several books, many of which have been best sellers.

In his spare time, Huckabee plays guitar in a band. On his television show he has played guitar with a number of famous artists, including Willie Nelson, Def Leppard, and Ted Nugent.

Huckabee married Janet Huckabee in 1974. They have four children. Their daughter, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, is the current White House Press Secretary under the Donald Trump administration since 2017.

Images for kids

Huckabee at a church in Virginia in 2008
Governor Huckabee at Opening Ceremonies of the Big Dam Bridge
2008 presidential campaign logo
Huckabee with actor Chuck Norris in Londonderry, New Hampshire (2008)
Huckabee giving a speech following the South Carolina 2008 Presidential Primary in Columbia, SC
Huckabee with a supporter at a campaign rally in Wisconsin
Former Governor Huckabee speaking at the 2011 Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana
Huckabee speaking at 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland
Republican Party presidential candidates Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, the host, Carly Fiorina, & Mike Huckabee join a forum in Iowa
Huckabee play bass guitar with recording artist Ayla Brown in 2015
At a book signing in 2011