Huckabee announces new South Carolina endorsements

Huckabee is hoping his background as a Baptist minister will help him with conservative evangelical voters in South Carolina.

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) - The presidential campaign of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee announced eight new South Carolina legislative endorsements Friday. The leadership team includes two state senators and four state representatives, as well as a former chairman of the South Carolina Republican party.

Given the relatively small size and resources of his campaign, Huckabee has been able to attract several impressive symbolic endorsements here. Iris Campbell, the wife of the state's popular former governor, Carroll Campbell, is an honorary co-chair of the campaign. Campbell's son Mike, former candidate for lieutenant governor, is Huckabee's state chairman. (Carroll Campbell died in 2005 at the age of 61).

Former Gov. David Beasley and his wife have also endorsed Huckabee.

Huckabee's new list of endorsements includes state Sens. David Thomas and Danny Verdin; state Reps. Liston Barfield, Glenn Hamilton, Keith Kelly, and Rex Rice; former Rep. Warren Arthur; and Dr. George Graham, former chairman of the South Carolina GOP.

Huckabee called the supporters "principled leaders."

- CNN South Carolina Producer Peter Hamby