Mike Huckabee – former Republican presidential candidate, author, rock guitarist and ordained Baptist minister – will speak Monday, April 14, at 6:30 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.
HIs talk, titled "The Pursuit of the Presidency and the Perfectly Insane American Process," is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6 p.m. Seating is limited, with priority for members of the campus community.
Huckabee surprised many by winning the Iowa caucuses and seven other presidential primary states, including West Virginia, Alabama and Tennessee. However, the former Arkansas governor struggled to expand his appeal beyond Southerners, conservative Christians and others and was forced to drop out of the race March 4.
He remains a candidate to be Republican nominee Sen. John McCain’s running mate in the fall election.
“Mike Huckabee is politically and culturally foreign to many Union students,” said sophomore Abby Cable, president of Union’s College Republicans group. “His appearance will provoke controversy and encourage students to become more engaged and active during this historical election cycle.”
Huckabee, 53, became governor of Arkansas in 1996 after Jim Tucker resigned. He was elected to a full, four-year term in 1998 and re-elected in 2002. An ordained Southern Baptist minister, he continues to lecture across the country on education reform and health care reform.
He gained national attention for his own struggles with obesity, losing more than 100 pounds since being diagnosed with Type II diabetes in 2003. He is the author of several books, including “Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork.”
He also plays bass guitar in his rock band, Capitol Offense.
“Despite being a registered Democrat, I feel like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Will Friedman ’10, acting president of the Speakers Forum, sponsor of the lecture. “Throughout the campaign, Gov. Huckabee was one of the few presidential candidates who stayed true to his beliefs without making personal attacks on any of the other candidates. That is a key reason why we decided to invite him to Union.”