Ramping up the 2012 speculation this week is Indiana Republican Rep. Mike Pence, who will visit the Hawkeye State later his month to headline two events.

Indiana Rep. Mike Pence

Indiana Rep. Mike Pence

The first, held July 24 in Linn County, will be a picnic and fundraiser for the Republican Party of Iowa. Prior to the event, Pence will tour flood-damaged areas of Cedar Rapids.

The next day, Pence will be featured at Iowa Rep. Steve King’s “Conservative Family Picnic” in Sioux City. The event is a fundraiser for King’s 2010 re-election campaign.

Pence, who currently the third-ranking Republican in the U.S. House, is the fourth Republican to schedule a visit to Iowa this summer with an eye toward seeking the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, following Neveda Sen. John Ensign, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.