Nevada Sen. John Ensign will continue to stoke the rumors of his presidential aspirations tonight when he speaks to an Iowa crowd as part of a conservative lecture series designed to define the Republican Party heading into next year’s congressional elections.

This will mark Ensign’s first trip to Iowa, and despite being more than 2 years away from the Iowa Caucuses, the trip is garnering a lot of attention. Ensign has admitted several times that he is contemplating a run for president in 2012.

The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza points out the obvious:

No politician — NOT ONE — goes to Iowa by accident.

Ensign will be speaking in Sioux City, located in the Republican stronghold of northwest Iowa. He will also meet with people at an ice cream parlor in Le Mars and tour a plant specializing in breeding prize cattle.

Ensign was invited to Iowa by the American Future Fund, a non-profit conservative advocacy group based in Des Moines. Tim Albrecht, the group’s communications director, said C-SPAN will be taping the speech but has not made it clear when it will air. Fox News anchor Carl Cameron interviewed Albrecht about the event this morning.

Ensign is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m.