Huntsman won’t compete in Iowa, but he will debate there

Jon Huntsman has made it clear he has no plans to compete in Iowa's 2012 caucuses, but he will make at least one visit to the state.

The Huntsman campaign confirmed Thursday the candidate will attend an Aug. 11th presidential debate in Iowa sponsored by Fox News and the Republican Party of Iowa. It will be Huntsman's first debate with all of his GOP rivals.

As The Ticket reported yesterday, Mitt Romney announced Tuesday he'll skip a 2012 debate set for next month in Nevada. Huntsman has not announced if he will appear at that event.

The news comes as the former Utah governor continues his campaign rollout. Today, Huntsman is unveiling his official campaign headquarters in Orlando, Fla., while tomorrow he's set to campaign in Nevada.

Yet Huntsman's most important campaign activity has largely been behind closed doors, where he's been attending a series of private fundraisers to raise cash for his presidential campaign. On Tuesday, Huntsman raised $1.2 million at a Manhattan fundraiser, per the New York Times' Jeff Zeleny. He met with donors in South Carolina on Wednesday. He's set to attend three fundraisers today in Florida, ahead of more donor events in Nevada and Utah tomorrow.

(Photo of Huntsman: Mel Evans/AP)