August 24, 1955

The forty-fourth governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, was born in Hope (Hempstead County). Huckabee was the only Republican governor elected to two four-year terms in Arkansas. Late in 2005, Time magazine listed Huckabee among the five most effective governors in the nation. While in office, Huckabee authored five books: Character is the Issue (1997), Kids Who Kill (1998), Living beyond Your Lifetime (2000), Quit Digging Your Grave with a Knife and Fork (2005), and From Hope to Higher Ground (2007). Because of term limits, Huckabee was not eligible to run for reelection in 2006, but he has since gained prominence in the national political arena.