Huckabee backs Palin's Senate pick
Mike Huckabee ventured onto Sarah Palin’s home turf Monday by backing her preferred Senate candidate in her native Alaska.
It’s fairly uncommon territory for Huckabee and Palin, who often endorse opposing candidates in GOP primaries. Nonetheless, the former Arkansas governor announced Monday that he’s also backing Republican attorney Joe Miller, who is waging an uphill campaign to defeat Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the Aug. 24 GOP primary.
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“A former State Magistrate and Federal Judge, Joe possesses a deep understanding of the law, but more importantly understands its impact on the people,” said Huckabee in a statement. “It is clear that Joe Miller has the right kind of experience, expertise and values to make a great Senator.”
Huckabee’s endorsement comes the same time that he and Palin are campaigning for dueling candidates in the GOP run-off in Georgia. Palin is backing former Secretary of State Karen Handel, while Huckabee has endorsed former Rep. Nathan Deal in the Aug. 10 contest.
In addition to Georgia, Palin and Huckabee backed opposing candidates in GOP primaries in the California Senate race and the Iowa gubernatorial contest.
But in the Alaska Senate race, Palin has not only endorsed Miller, her family has also taken a special interest in the race. Her husband, Todd Palin, has headlined a couple events for Miller.
Palin announced in early June that she supported Miller, after having previously supported Murkowski. She announced early in the cycle that she was backing the senator and even cut a check to Murkowski’s campaign, but later changed course and endorsed Miller, proclaiming “competition's good” in her endorsement of him on her Facebook page.
Unlike some of the other candidates whom either Palin or Huckabee has endorsed, public polls show Miller is a long-shot to unseat Murkowski. In an Ivan Moore Research poll taken in mid-July, Murkowski lead Miller, 62 percent to 30 percent.
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