Chicago businessman John Cox, probably the biggest unknown out of the slate of candidates, said he knows what it's like to be the long shot.

He's the son of a single mother and has succeeded in the face of doubt all his life. Like when he became a certified public accountant at 20 years old. Or like when he turned around a company losing millions a year and saved hundreds of jobs.

He drove home his anti-abortion stance when he said he wouldn't be here today if abortion was legal when he was born in 1955.

He said America is a country of consumption, not capital and he supports the fair tax proposal, which would end all taxes but sales tax.

Cox took the stage with his wife and youngest daughter and started his time with a video, introducing people to his stances on the issues.

He said he's a fiscal conservative who supports families and opposes illegal immigration.

"We need to go after criminals, not law-abiding citizens," he said.

Cox compared himself to President Ronald Reagan, who also at one point was a long shot: ""They said it was a long shot when a movie actor ran for president. ... I'll be a president with a mission for change," he said.

"We've tried career politicians. We need to elect someone who gets results. Someone who will get results, not rhetoric, we need competence, not corruption, we need principles, not pandering," Cox said.

"We need to make America a new symbol for peace and prosperity," he said.

Cox said he is the ideal "anti-Hillary" candidate for Republicans.

"We want solutions, not celebritries," Cox said.

While he may be an unknown, Cox was the first GOP candidate to announce his run for the presidency in March 2006.

-- By Gwen Tietgen