Former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee announced the end of his Fox News Channel program Saturday evening, saying he and the network parted ways and saying he is preparing to make yet another run in 2016.
Mr. Huckabee, who competed in the 2008 contest but took a pass in 2012, said he won’t decide on running until late this spring, “but the continued chatter has put Fox News in a position that is not fair to them.”
“The honorable thing to do at this point is to end my tenure here at Fox so I can openly talk with potential donors and supporters and gauge support,” he said in an email to supporters that made clear he is committed to testing the waters for a run.
“I feel compelled to ascertain if the support exists strongly enough for another presidential run. So as we say in television, stay tuned!” he said.
Mr. Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, won the Iowa caucuses in 2008 but lost the nomination to Sen. John McCain, who would go on to be trounced by then-Sen. Barack Obama.
Social conservatives say they detect considerable enthusiasm for a Huckabee candidacy, particularly in places such as Iowa and South Carolina where religiously motivated conservative voters play a major role in those early primary-season contests.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.