At the launch of Mike Huckabee’s campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination Tuesday, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson listed this as one of Huckabee’s credentials: when Huckabee himself was the top politician in Arkansas, TIME named him one of the country’s best governors.
In one particular way, that 2005 list is an apt piece to cite. “Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is tickled by the rampant speculation that he will seek the presidency,” the story began. “Officially, he’s ‘keeping all options open,’ which is another way of saying he’s trying to figure out how much money he could raise.”
But, the article hinted, if he could raise the money he might go far:
Huckabee did end up running in the presidential election that followed that story, in 2008, but did not win his party’s nomination. This time around, he’s hoping for a different result.
Read the whole story, in the TIME archives: America’s 5 Best Governors
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Coco Gauff Is Playing for Herself Now
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Lily Rothman at lily.rothman@time.com