MIKE HUCKABEE

BIRTHDAY: Aug. 24,1955 (52) HOMETOWN: Hope, Ark. RELIGION: Baptist

FAMILY: wife, Janet; three children

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree, Ouachita Baptist University, 1976

EXPERIENCE: Baptist preacher for 12 years; president of Arkansas Baptist State Convention, 1989-91; Arkansas lieutenant governor, 1993-96; Arkansas governor, 1996-2007.

YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW: In 2000, while the Arkansas governor's mansion was being renovated, Huckabee moved into a double-wide mobile home on the grounds of the mansion.

CAMPAIGN OFFICIAL WEB SITE WWW.MIKEHUCKABEE.COM

DECISION TO RUN:

"One of the reasons that I'm running for president is because I think that America needs folks who understand what it is to start at the bottom of the ladder and climb their way to the top."

MAJOR THEMES:

Hopes to spark a "revival of our national soul." Calling himself a "Christian leader," Huckabee places at the fore his religious convictions and socially conservative beliefs, such as supporting a constitutional amendment to ban abortion and gay marriage.

IN NEVADA:

Has no organization in the state and hasn't campaigned here.

IN THE POLLS

NATIONALLY

After spending most of the year in the single-digits, Huckabee has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the polls in recent weeks.

NEVADA

A Review-Journal poll this month showed him with 17 percent, behind Rudy Giuliani (25 percent) and Mitt Romney (20 percent).

POSITIONS

WAR/NATIONAL SECURITY

Supports the surge in Iraq but cautions against overusing National Guard and reserve personnel. On "Meet the Press" he said: "As a governor ... I've seen 80 percent of our Guard forces deployed to Iraq. Now we're talking about sending them back yet again and again. These are citizen soldiers. They didn't sign up to be gone all the time. They signed up to be soldiers called upon for extraordinary duty, and ... they've done it."

HEALTH CARE

Would make Health Savings Accounts, which allow tax-free savings for medical expenses, available to everyone. He would like to move away from the employer-based insurance system, but would offer taxpayers a deduction for the health insurance premiums they pay. Low-income taxpayers would get a credit -- a dollar-for-dollar reduction on taxes owed.

IMMIGRATION

Supported a bill in Arkansas making some illegal immigrants eligible for college scholarships and in-state tuition. As governor he argued that illegal immigrants pay more in taxes than they get in benefits. Now he wants a border fence, an increase in Border Patrol agents, and fines and penalties for companies that hire illegal immigrants. He favors giving illegal immigrants 120 days to leave the country. Those who leave would face no penalty if they later apply to immigrate or visit.

NEVADA ISSUES

He does not have a record on Yucca Mountain, but has said: "Everybody wants the benefits of nuclear energy, but nobody wants the storage of the nuclear material in their own backyard. Part of it is you have to make it economically viable for somebody to actually receive it. But a lot of it is changing attitudes, educating the public that nuclear byproducts can be disposed of safely, because the first reaction people have is, 'Our kids are going to glow in the dark if we put that stuff in our state.' That's not the case."

ENERGY

Vows to make the United States energy-independent. Proposes more drilling for oil and reliance on renewable energy. He is also a big supporter of nuclear energy, seeing it as part of the solution to global climate change.

TAXES

Proposes replacing federal income and investment taxes with a 23 percent federal sales tax. The FairTax plan would exempt the poor, and every household would receive a rebate equal to sales taxes paid on essential goods and services. He claims such a plan would help save Social Security because "the base of funding is much broader."

CRITICS

Conservatives have attacked him for raising taxes while governor of Arkansas. He signed bills raising taxes on gasoline and private nursing home patients and opposed the repeal of a sales tax on groceries and medicine. The Arkansas Democrat Gazette said he increased the average citizen's tax burden from $1,969 in 1997 to $2,902 in 2005. He's also been criticized for being soft on criminals. He pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 1,000 people, including convicted murderers, while governor. Some also are put off by Huckabee's suggestion that creationism should be taught, with evolution, in public schools.