Former presidential candidate and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will speak at Syracuse University on Feb. 7, the College Republicans announced Thursday.

Huckabee, who ran for president in 2008 but lost in the primaries to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), will give a talk called “The Future of Conservatism” at 7:30 p.m. in Gifford Auditorium in Huntington Beard Crouse Hall.

“We try to bring people with a lot of experience and who have a different view of conservatism,” said James Ward, president of the College Republicans.

Huckabee’s talk will focus on what’s next for conservatism after President Barack Obama’s recent re-election, Ward said.

“We’re trying to build conservatism and do better with PR after we lost the last election and make conservatism more relatable,” he said. “He’s going to give his take on where we should be heading four years from now.”

The group decided to bring Huckabee to campus not only because of his level of experience, but also because he’s a very good speaker for the club’s budget, Ward said.

Traditionally, he said, the group works with organizations such as the Young America’s Foundation to book speakers such as Huckabee