(CNN) - As he seriously considers a second bid for the White House, Rick Santorum will spend three days next week in South Carolina, the state that holds the first southern contest in the presidential primary and caucus calendar.
CNN has learned that the 2012 GOP presidential candidate and former senator from Pennsylvania will be in the Palmetto State from April 13-15 for fundraising events and meetings with Republicans.
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A senior aide to the former senator tells CNN that Santorum will attend a fundraiser on Sunday in Charleston for Patriot Voices, his non-profit group that aims to mobilize conservative causes. On Monday, he'll attend GOP events in Charleston before traveling to Columbia on Tuesday for private meetings with grassroots activists and political leaders.
That same day another potential 2016 Republican White House hopeful, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, headlines the Free Enterprise Foundation dinner in Charleston.
Santorum has made multiple trips to the state since the 2012 election, as two of his sons attend the Citadel, the military college of South Carolina, which is located in Charleston.
South Carolina is the latest stop in a crucial early primary or caucus state for Santorum, who battled eventual nominee Mitt Romney deep into the 2012 Republican primary calendar. Late last month, he made the rounds in Iowa, meeting with senior strategists who guided his January 2012 victory in the Iowa caucuses. The caucuses are the first contest in the race for the party nominations.
In an interview with the Iowa Public Television program "Iowa Press," Santorum said, "I'm very open to taking on another run and right now I'm just doing everything that I would be doing if I was going to run," adding that "I'm here (in Iowa). I'm going to be around the country. I'm very concerned about our country."
He returns to the Hawkeye State on June 14, to speak at the Iowa GOP's state convention. Two other possible 2016 Republican contenders, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, are also scheduled to speak at the event.
Earlier in March, Santorum, who's a favorite of many social and fiscal conservatives, spoke at the Northeast Republican Leadership Conference in New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary in the race for the White House.