Candidate Biographies

Mike Huckabee Mike Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and a former Baptist preacher. Huckabee, who has diabetes, received national attention for losing 110 pounds and encouraging others to improve their diet and exercise. Huckabee says withdrawing American troops from Iraq "would have serious strategic consequences for us and horrific humanitarian consequences for the Iraqis." Huckabee was born August 24, 1955, in Hope, Arkansas. He attended Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas. Huckabee and his wife have three children. Mike Huckabee's Official Web Site Duncan Hunter Duncan Hunter is a congressman from San Diego. He is also a Vietnam War veteran. Representing a border community, Hunter authored the Secure Fence Act, which would extend the border fence 1,375 kilometers across California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Hunter says his experience on this issue in San Diego has shown that "building fences in strategic locations along our international borders is a proven method of keeping America safe." Hunter was born May 31, 1948, in Riverside, California. He attended Western State University Law School in San Diego. Hunter and his wife, Lynne, have two sons. Duncan Hunter's Official Web Site

John McCain John McCain is a senator representing Arizona. He served in Vietnam, where he was a prisoner of war for more than five years. McCain was also a presidential candidate in 2000. He has called for a "greater military commitment to Iraq," saying that more troops are necessary to rebuild the nation and prevent sectarian violence. McCain supports immigration reform legislation that would provide illegal immigrants a path to citizenship and establish a temporary guest worker program. McCain was born August 29, 1936, in the Panama Canal Zone, where his father was serving in the U.S. Navy. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy. McCain has a wife, Cindy, seven children and four grandchildren. John McCain's Official Web Site

Ron Paul Ron Paul is a representative from Texas. He previously served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force and worked as a doctor, delivering more than 4,000 babies in his career. Paul says that he "never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution." Paul has advocated withdrawing from several trade pacts, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying that they limit American independence. Paul was born August 20, 1935, in Pittsburgh. He attended Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania and Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina. He and his wife, Carol, have five children and 17 grandchildren. Ron Paul's Official Web Site Mitt Romney Mitt Romney is the former governor of Massachusetts. He also oversaw the committee that organized the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Romney supports President Bush's surge strategy for Iraq and has called on Americans to demonstrate a "surge of support" for its troops. If elected, Romney would be the first Mormon president. Romney was born March 12, 1947, in Detroit, when his father was governor of Michigan. Romney attended Brigham Young University in Utah and Harvard University's business and law schools in Massachusetts. He and his wife, Ann, have five sons. Mitt Romney's Official Web Site

Fred Thompson Fred Thompson is a former Tennessee senator. He is perhaps best known for playing the role of District Attorney Arthur Branch on the television show Law & Order. Thompson says he has "always cared deeply about the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms" and is a big proponent of federalism. Thompson was born August 19, 1942 in Sheffield, Alabama and received a law degree from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. He has a wife, Jeri, and four children. Fred Thompson's Official Web Site