Michael Dale "Mike" Huckabee (born August 24, 1955) is an American politician, Christian minister, author, and commentator who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the United States Republican presidential primaries in both 2008 and 2016. He won the 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses and finished second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won, behind nominee John McCain and Mitt Romney.