(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-02-12 15:03

Still, McCain suffered embarrassing losses to Huckabee in Louisiana and Kansas this past weekend -- and a narrow win in Washington state that is being contested by the Huckabee campaign.

Other major challengers have dropped out. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney suspended campaigning last week "for our party and our country," saying to stay in would only strengthen whichever Democrat gets the nomination — either Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton or Sen. Barack Obama.

Huckabee makes no such argument. He says most of those clamoring for him to drop out are McCain backers.

Asked whether Huckabee risks overplaying his hand, his campaign chairman, Ed Rollins said he didn't think so.

"I think he's made it very clear that until either he or McCain have 1,191 delegates, he's going to stay in this thing. We always wanted to get it down to one-on-one," Rollins said Monday. "This is what he wants to do. Getting Romney out of the race obviously eliminates a guy who had an advantage with money."

Huckabee and McCain "respect each other. They're both men of integrity," Rollins said. "Tomorrow is a big day. We'll keep going as long as we can."

Texas Rep. Ron Paul also remains in the race.

Gone are former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, once considered the GOP front-runner, and actor and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, the favorite of many conservatives.

Consultant Rich Galen, who worked for Thompson but now is unaffiliated, said Huckabee "has still got money and he's having a good time. He's not conducting a negative campaign. He could go on to be recognized as the leader of the conservative wing of the Republican Party."

Greg Mueller, a conservative Republican consultant not associated with a candidate, said Huckabee is helping to burnish his own reputation as perhaps "the next man in line" for Republicans in a future contest "so long as he's amassing delegates."

"With Romney out of the race, Huckabee became a repository for the anti-McCain vote. I think for conservatives, it doesn't hurt for a while here to make sure Senator McCain and his folks understand that the fissures that conservatives have with Senator McCain didn't happen overnight, and are not going to be resolved overnight," said Mueller. "One of the reasons Huckabee is staying in is to give a voice to conservatives so that we are a very strong presence going into the convention."

Mueller worked for Pat Buchanan in the conservative commentator's 1992 primary challenge against then-President George H.W. Bush.

Huckabee is not supported by all conservatives. Conservative activist Gary Bauer backed McCain on Monday, citing McCain's anti-abortion record "and demonstrated commitment to the values that keep our families and communities strong."

Huckabee complained that many Republican leaders are trying to turn the process into a coronation for McCain. "There's a growing chorus of establishment Republicans to sort of call the game here," Huckabee told about 100 supporters in Richmond, Va.,

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