(CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas.
Personal
Birth date: August 24, 1955
Birth place: Hope, Arkansas
Birth name: Michael Dale Huckabee
Father: Dorsey Huckabee, a fireman and mechanic
Mother: Mae (Elder) Huckabee, an office worker
Marriage: Janet (McCain) Huckabee (May 25, 1974-present)
Children: John Mark, David and Sarah
Education: Ouachita Baptist University, B.A., 1976; Attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Religion: Southern Baptist
Other Facts
Born in the same Arkansas town as former US President Bill Clinton.
Is an ordained Baptist minister.
After being diagnosed in 2002 with Type 2 diabetes, Huckabee lost more than 100 lbs. He has completed several marathons.
Plays bass guitar with his band Capitol Offense. The rock group has opened for Willie Nelson, .38 Special and Grand Funk Railroad.
As governor, Huckabee launched a Medicaid expansion called ARKids First, providing health coverage to thousands of children.
His daughter, Sarah (Huckabee) Sanders, served as the White House Press Secretary for President Donald Trump from 2017-2019.
Timeline
1980 – Becomes pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church, Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
1983-1986 – President of ACTS-TV, a religious TV channel.
1986 – Becomes pastor at Beech Street First Baptist Church, Texarkana, Arkansas.
1989-1991 – President of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.
1987-1992 – President of KBSC-TV, a Christian television station in Texarkana.
1992 – Unsuccessfully runs for the US Senate (R-AR).
1992-1996 – President of Cambridge Communications in Texarkana.
November 20, 1993 – Wins a special election for lieutenant governor; is elected in 1994 to a full four-year term.
July 15, 1996-January 9, 2007 – Serves as governor of Arkansas after Jim Guy Tucker resigns post-Whitewater fraud conviction. He wins the gubernatorial election in 1998 and is reelected in 2002.
January 29, 2007 – Files a statement of candidacy with the FEC to run for president.
March 4, 2008 – Drops out of the presidential race after John McCain accumulates enough delegates to win the Republican nomination.
September 27, 2008 – Debuts a weekend show on Fox News titled “Huckabee.”
November 13, 2008 – ABC Radio Networks announces that Huckabee has signed a deal to do a radio show called “The Huckabee Report,” debuting January 5, 2009.
August 2009 – Travels to Israel and makes controversial statements in support of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
April 9, 2012 – Huckabee’s new radio show, “The Mike Huckabee Show,” debuts with Mitt Romney as the first guest. The show ends its run in 2013 after Huckabee has a contract dispute with Cumulus Media Networks, which syndicates the program.
January 2015 – Announces he is ending his weekend program on Fox News.
May 5, 2015 – Huckabee launches his second presidential bid, in his hometown of Hope, Arkansas.
August 2015 – Tells CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” that his opposition to abortion rights in any circumstances remains steadfast. When asked about the Paraguay case in which a 10-year-old rape victim was denied access to the procedure, he says: “Let’s not compound a tragedy by taking yet another life.”
February 2016 – Suspends his presidential campaign after a disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses.
October 7, 2017 – “Huckabee” premieres on Trinity Broadcasting Network.
March 1, 2018 – Huckabee resigns from the Country Music Association Foundation board of directors – less than one day after his appointment – after backlash over his anti-gay rights record.
June 23, 2018 – Tweets a photo of five men who appear to be using hand signs associated with the MS-13 gang with the caption, “Nancy Pelosi introduces her campaign committee for the take back of the House.”
October 17, 2023 – Joins a group of authors suing Meta, Microsoft and Bloomberg for the alleged use of their copyrighted works in training artificial intelligence tools without permission.
July 1, 2024 – Files a lawsuit against Meta Platforms accusing them of allowing the use of Huckabee’s image, name and likeness in fraudulent advertising for CBD products.
November 12, 2024 – President-elect Trump announces Huckabee as his pick to serve as US ambassador to Israel. Huckabee has been a strong defender of Israel throughout his career – including on what he says is the country’s claims to the West Bank.
April 9, 2025 – In a 53-46 vote, the Senate confirms Huckabee to be US ambassador to Israel.
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