Bill Clinton and Mike Huckabee are not only the most famous natives of Hope, Arkansas, but they have made similar climbs up the state’s political ladder. Each lost their first bid for public office and each served multiple terms as governor before making their first run for president. An asterisk (*) indicates a special election; a pound sign (#) denotes Huckabee’s present age. (He was born on Aug. 24, 1955, almost nine years after Bill Clinton.)
| BILL CLINTON | MIKE HUCKABEE | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | Age at Election | Office Sought | Election Outcome | Election | Age at Election | Office Sought | Election Outcome | |
| 1974 | 28 | U.S. House | Lost | 1992 | 37 | U.S. Senator | Lost | |
| 1976 | 30 | AR Attorney General | Won | 1993* | 38 | AR Lt. Governor | Won | |
| 1978 | 32 | AR Governor | Won | 1998 | 43 | AR Governor | Won | |
| 1980 | 34 | AR Governor | Lost | 2002 | 47 | AR Governor | Won | |
| 1982 | 36 | AR Governor | Won | 2008 | 52# | President | ? | |
| 1984 | 38 | AR Governor | Won | |||||
| 1986 | 40 | AR Governor | Won | |||||
| 1990 | 44 | AR Governor | Won | |||||
| 1992 | 46 | President | Won | |||||
| 1996 | 50 | President | Won | |||||
Source: CQ’s Politics in America (CQ Press).