Bramante endorses Huckabee over McCain

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who formed his presidential exploratory committee Monday, has the support of a well-connected New Hampshire Republican.

New Hampshire State School Board member and two-time gubernatorial candidate Fred Bramante told the Globe that he will support Huckabee.

“I have never heard another candidate for president talk so passionately about education and the role the arts play in it,” said Bramante, who started Daddy’s Junky Music stores.

“He understands that for [America] to compete we need to have a creative economy and that comes from arts education,” said Bramante.

In 2000, Bramante supported Senator John McCain. After McCain won New Hampshire, Bramante traveled to South Carolina to help the campaign.

He said he still has a great deal of respect for McCain, but it is different this time.

“I am not sure he is the same maverick candidate I fell in love with,” said Bramante.