Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee hopes to make his mark as the next presidential candidate from the state to surprise political observers and capture his party's nomination for president. Though Huckabee shares the same hometown birthplace as ex-President Bill Clinton, the two can't be further apart on abortion.

As several other potential Republican presidential candidates have done, Huckabee filed the papers to create an exploratory committee and gauge the possible support he could generate.

"I think this is an opportunity to show the American dream is still alive and there's hope and optimism that can be awakened in a lot of people's lives if they think that a person like me can run and actually become president," Huckabee told The Associated Press.

Huckabee also talked about his position as a lower-tier candidate with a lower position in current polls of voters in leading primary states.

"America loves an underdog. America loves people who have had to struggle and for whom every rung of the ladder has been sometimes three rungs up and two back down," he said.

Unlike Clinton, Huckabee is a staunch pro-life advocate who will be competing with candidates like Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback for votes from the pro-life community.

In 2005, Huckabee signed a bill into law that would require abortion facilities to obtain the approval of a parent or legal guardian before an abortion can be scheduled for a teenager. The proposal was part of a package of bills he asked the state legislature to approve.

The parent or guardian must provide identification and the signature must either be notarized or the consent form must be signed in the presence of the abortion practitioner. The goal is to ensure that abortion advocates do not use other adults to provide fake signatures authorizing abortions.

Huckabee supported a 2003 version of the bill that passed in the state House and Senate before dying in a legislative committee responsible for reconciling the versions passed by each chamber.

In March 2003 Huckabee signed a ban on human cloning. Under the Arkansas law, human cloning would be considered a felony, punishable with prison sentences as long as ten years and fines as high as $10,000.

Douglas Johnson, Legislative Director for National Right to Life, applauded Huckabee's actions saying the law would "prevent human embryo farming and human fetus farming in Arkansas."

Huckabee also signed a bill in 2003 authorizing the sale of Choose Life license plates. Twenty-five dollars from the plate proceeds goes to the Choose Life Adoption Assistance Program Fund and are distributed to organizations that help pregnant women and promote adoption such a pregnancy centers or adoption agencies.

Huckabee will also face well-funded hopefuls such as Sen. John McCain of Arizona, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and pro-abortion former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.