LOS ANGELES — Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty plans to formally announce his Republican candidacy for president Monday in Iowa, a campaign aide confirmed Friday.
The announcement will come during a town-hall meeting in the lead-off caucus state.
In the eyes of the Federal Election Commission, Pawlenty already is a full-fledged candidate. But he has maintained that he is still in an exploratory phase, waiting until the pace of the campaign picked up before making a showier splash.
In a campaign of tortoises, marked so far as much by who is out as who is in, Pawlenty has been a hare. He was among the first to announce the formation of an exploratory committee, doing so with a slick YouTube video on his Facebook page in March.
He has been traveling regularly to early nominating states for more than a year, making contact with key activists.
When Fox News and South Carolina Republicans hosted the first debate of the 2012 cycle, Pawlenty was one of only five candidates who participated. Front-runner Mitt Romney took a pass.
Pawlenty’s activity has not yet translated into support in public-opinion polls. He still ranks in the lower tier in most state and national surveys. By announcing in Iowa, which shares a border with the state he governed for two terms, Pawlenty signals he is eager to fill a vacuum left by Mike Huckabee, winner of the 2008 Iowa caucuses. Los Angeles Times
