The Mike Huckabee 2008 presidential campaign began on January 28, 2007, when former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for President of the United States for the 2008 election. Huckabee ultimately ended his bid for the nomination after losing the Texas Republican primary on March 4, 2008. Huckabee's campaign began with a first-quarter fundraising total lower than many of the front-running Republican candidates, raising $544,880. Huckabee said that he found it difficult to move forward in a race "ruled by candidates with the biggest names". Nonetheless, Huckabee placed second in the August 11 Iowa Straw Poll with 18.1 percent. He came in second at the onsite polling of the Family Research Council Values Voters Summit on October 21, 2007, with 28% of the vote, and garnered a celebrity endorsement from actor Chuck Norris. In December 2007, Huckabee began challenging other candidates for first place in national polls among Republicans. On January 3, 2008, Huckabee won the Iowa Republican Caucuses with 34% of the electorate. On Super Tuesday, Huckabee won an additional six states, including most of the Deep South. After losing the Texas primary in March, however, Huckabee officially ended his campaign and conceded the race to U.S. senator John McCain. Campaign development Beginnings On January 27, 2007, the Associated Press reported that Huckabee planned to file papers to form a presidential exploratory committee. He announced his run for the White House on Meet the Press on January 28, 2007. James Carville, Clinton's former political consultant, said the following about Huckabee: "He likes people, he knows how to relate to people. He can talk the talk. I'm impressed with this guy's political skills." On Meet the Press, Huckabee said "I think you've got to be very careful. I wouldn't propose any new taxes. I wouldn't support any. But if we’re in a situation where we are in a different level of war, where there is no other option, I think that it's a very dangerous position to make pledges that are outside the most important pledge you make, and that is the oath you take to uphold the Constitution and protect the people of the United States." Grover Norquist, the president of Americans for Tax Reform, who in 2006 called the governor a "serial tax increaser," stated recently, "Gov. Huckabee recognizes that the challenge is to rein in spending and reduce taxes." Huckabee supports