SPRINGFIELD - The state's most recognizable Republicans began lining up behind their presidential candidates months ago, long before former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee began rising in the polls.

Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson got behind John McCain.

House Minority Leader Tom Cross put his name out there for Rudy Giuliani.

State Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, is helping Fred Thompson.

And state Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, is overseeing Mitt Romney's campaign in Illinois.

But a poll last week by the Chicago Tribune shows that Huckabee is on the move without the high-profile kind of name recognition his GOP opponents are enjoying.

A quick check of the delegates running in the Feb. 5 election shows many Huckabee-backers are cut from the party's social conservative wing.

Take Jonathan Wright of Hartsburg as an example.

Wright was an assistant prosecutor in the Logan County state's attorney's office when he was appointed to fill an unexpired term in the Illinois House in 2001.

During his short stint in the House, he backed legislation that would have allowed student-led prayer in public schools.

Wright did not seek re-election in 2002 but re-emerged on the political scene during the 2004 election, when he made a long-shot bid for the U.S. Senate, running to the right of just about everybody on the ballot.

Another Huckabee delegate is Lee Newcom.

Newcom, of Normal, was the executive director of the Illinois Christian Coalition when it opened a chapter in the Land of Lincoln in the early 1990s.

For a time, he also served as executive director of the United Republican Fund, which supports conservative Republican candidates.

Newcom now serves as recorder for McLean County.

Also on board the Huckabee bandwagon is David McAloon of Bourbannais, who is running for a seat in the Illinois House against incumbent state Rep. Careen Gordon, D-Morris.

McAloon is listed as chairman of the Slot/Values in Religion to Unite Everyone political action committee, which has funneled money to a number of social conservative candidates over the years.

Newcom said it would be wrong to infer that Huckabee is appealing only to social conservatives.

"I think that characterization would not be accurate," Newcom said.

Rather, Newcom said that, except for Giuliani, the entire GOP presidential field is largely filled with candidates who fit a conservative mold. In some instances, it could be argued that Huckabee is less conservative than some of his opponents, Newcom said.

In Illinois, the Chicago Tribune reported that its survey, taken Dec. 9 to 13, had Huckabee garnering 21 percent of the 500 Republicans polled. Giuliani was drawing 23 percent.

Behind them were Romney at 14 percent, followed by McCain and Thompson with 12 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

The poll also found U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas with 3 percent, while 14 percent of those polled were undecided.

Kurt Erickson can be reached at kurt.erickson@lee.net or 789-0865.