Mike Huckabee Quits Fox News Show To Consider 2016 Bid

"The honorable thing to do at this point is to end my tenure here at Fox so I can openly talk with potential donors and supporters and gauge support."

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Saturday night's episode of his Fox News show would be his last, as he decides whether to run for president in 2016.

"As much as I have loved doing the show, I love my country more, and feel that it may be time for me to leave a zone of comfort to engage in the conflicts that have almost destroyed the bedrock foundations of America," Huckabee wrote in a Facebook post on Saturday night. "I feel compelled to ascertain if the support exists strongly enough for another presidential run."

Huckabee, who ran for the Republican nomination in 2008 but not 2012, remains deeply popular with social conservatives and an effective communicator on issues that part of the Republican base values. In his previous presidential effort, however, Huckabee struggled to raise money.

In recent months, there has been some speculation he would run again, particularly as he and Sen. Ted Cruz both privately addressed groups of influential social conservatives in September.

This evening I wanted to share with you some news that is very personal to me. Because you have been such a good friend and a strong supporter of all my efforts, I wanted you to know first that tonight I will do more than just say goodnight on my Fox show. I will say goodbye.This is the last edition of Huckabee on the Fox News Channel. It has been the ride of a lifetime, and I have never had so much fun in my life. But I also realize that God hasn't put me on earth just to have a good time or to make a good living, but rather has put me on earth to try to make a good life.There has been a great deal of speculation as to whether I would run for President. I won't make a decision about running until late in the spring of 2015, but the continued chatter has put Fox News into a position that is not fair to them. The honorable thing to do at this point is to end my tenure here at Fox so I can openly talk with potential donors and supporters and gauge support. As much as I have loved doing the show, I love my country more, and feel that it may be time for me to leave a zone of comfort to engage in the conflicts that have almost destroyed the bedrock foundations of America. I feel compelled to ascertain if the support exists strongly enough for another Presidential run. So as we say in television, stay tuned!
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