Washington: Republican Mike Huckabee, a darling of US Christian conservatives, announced he would not run for president next year.
"My answer is clear and firm," Huckabee told Fox News Channel. "I will not seek the Republican nomination for president ... I'm going to continue doing what I do."
Huckabee, a former Southern Baptist minister and governor of the southern state of Arkansas, was the winner of the Iowa Republican caucus in 2008. He has been anchoring a popular television show for the channel in recent years.
Huckabee withdrew from the 2008 race after it became apparent he would lose in Texas and that Arizona Senator John McCain would get the 1,191 delegates required to win the Republican nomination.
He is a vocal US opponent of abortion and gay marriage.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, May 15, 2011, 10:04