The political rally will be the first stop in a campaign swing that will take him through New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, Utah and Nevada. Noticeably absent from his itinerary is Iowa, where his opposition to federal ethanol subsidies would make victory pretty much impossible. Instead, he will focus on beating Mitt Romney in New Hampshire, reports the New York Times.

Huntsman, who served as President Obama’s ambassador to China, has previously expressed opinions on climate change and same-sex marriage that put him at odds with his most of his fellow GOP contenders, but he has been working hard to boost his conservative bona fides.