Huckabee Chafes at 'Front-Runner' Label

"We're running second in a state where we don't have any structure," he said, attempting to suggest that Romney is still ahead. "Where we don't have offices or paid staff, we have something better: We have an army of ordinary people."

As he stumped in New Hampshire last weekend, some of those who saw him said they were proud that a candidate such as Huckabee can come back.

"That's what the New Hampshire primary is all about. Someone seen as a second-tier candidate a couple of weeks ago turns it on," said Robert Boyce, a state senator in the Granite State who is leaning toward Huckabee.

Before he can head to New Hampshire and South Carolina, though, Huckabee needs to a strong showing in Iowa.

"We can't build the staff, we don't have the resources," said Bob Vander Plaats, Huckabee's Iowa chairman. "It will be a great case study of the Iowa caucus. You have a candidate with a great staff, a lot of paid staff . . . versus a candidate with a great message, limited staff and relying on a lot of volunteers to carry his water on caucus night."

Staff writer Alec MacGillis in New Hampshire contributed to this report.