Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a rising star in the national Republican Party, will keynote a fundraising dinner for the Iowa Family Policy Center’s “Celebrating the Family” banquet, fueling speculation of a potential run for president in 2012.

The governor’s spokeswoman, Melissa Sellers, told The Associated Press that Jindal will attend the Nov. 22 event and also will make a stop in the Cedar Rapids area to see some of the recent flooding damage there.

This will be Jindal’s first trip to Iowa.

The Iowa Family Policy Center’s President, Chuck Hurley, told The Des Moines Register that he isn’t sure if the visit is linked to any presidential ambitions.

“I think it’s intriguing, but I don’t want to speculate,” said Iowa Family Policy Center President Chuck Hurley. “I haven’t talked to him about anything beyond our immediate goal of honoring families and having a strong speaker at our banquet.”

The 37-year-old first-term governor was widely speculated to be on Republican presidential nominee John McCain’s short list for vice president. His trip to Iowa will take place just weeks after the presidential election is complete.

For their part, McCain’s Iowa team is quick to point out that their candidate is going to win in November, making the discussion of a 2012 campaign moot.

“Since John McCain will be elected in a few weeks, I assume it could be interpreted as a possible 2016 candidate,” [Iowa campaign Chairman Dave] Roederer said. “I don’t think I would read too much into it.”