9 things to know about Mike Huckabee

Introduction

Update, Feb. 1, 2016: After a poor showing in the Iowa caucus, Mike Huckabee decided to suspend his presidential campaign.

Mike Huckabee is expected to throw his hat into the ring for the White House today, the second time the Republican from Arkansas has sought the presidency.

The former governor of Arkansas ran in 2008, winning the Iowa Republican caucuses and primaries in seven other states, but he decided not to enter the 2012 race.

This time, he’s been paving the way for months. He launched a nonprofit advocacy group this fall, wrapped up his Fox News show in January and announced plans in April to stop his radio broadcast.

Here’s more about the financial background of the man who could be the nation’s second president from Hope, Arkansas:

• Mike Huckabee raised $16 million for his 2008 bid. That won’t go far in this race where a Ted Cruz-supporting super PAC already has $31 million.

• Ordained Southern Baptist minister Mike Huckabee’s biggest support in 2008 came from three Bible Belt states: Texas, Arkansas and Florida.

• Who hearts Huckabee? Retired people have been his biggest donors, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

• When Mike Huckabee ran for Arkansas governor in 2002, his top donor was Coca-Cola. That came before he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and lost 100 pounds.

• Mike Huckabee once was fined for accepting a canoe from Coca-Cola bottlers, though the decision was later reversed.

• Mike Huckabee repeatedly got into trouble with the Arkansas Ethics Commissionfor campaign finance issues.

• Mike Huckabee, who won the 2008 GOP caucuses in Iowa, has already been courting Iowa politicians through his PAC.

• After eight more books and a Fox News show, Mike Huckabee will likely report more income than the $488,000 he reported earning in 2006.  

• A super PAC called Pursuing America’s Greatness formed in March to back Mike Huckabee.

Sources: Center for Public Integrity reporting, as well as Amazon.com, Associated Press, Bloomberg News, Center for Responsive Politics, MSNBC, New York Times, National Institute on Money in State Politics and Washington Post

Image sources: Gage Skidmore/Flickr, Justin Higuchi/Flickr