Santorum Set to Visit Early Presidential Primary States

Potential Republican presidential candidates are ramping up their activities to launch possible campaigns. And former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum is a case in point. He’s taking his longest pre-campaign trip yet next week, Politico reports.

The conservative Santorum, who lost his Senate seat in 2006 to Democrat Bob Casey, will hit the early primary states of Iowa (Monday and Tuesday) and South Carolina (Wednesday and Thursday).

Santorum will give speeches to the Family Research Council and the Des Moines Conservative Breakfast Club. He’ll also appear at fundraisers for Iowa Rep. Chris Hagenow and South Carolina gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley.

A recent Gallup poll put Republican support for a presidential bid by Santorum at 2 percent. That puts him in eighth place behind Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, and Haley Barbour.