Michele Bachmann to join Nikki Haley at tea party rally

As she explores a possible 2012 presidential run, Michele Bachmann will share a stage next week with South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a Republican whose endorsement in the upcoming presidential race will be highly coveted.

Per CNN's Peter Hamby, Bachmann and Haley are set to headline a tea party rally on the steps of the South Carolina state House building on April 18. The Minnesota congresswoman, who was already scheduled to be in the state as she explores a White House bid, extended her trip a day to appear at the event.

Haley, who endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2008 campaign, is already being wooed by other potential 2012 candidates. Last month, Pawlenty paid a courtesy call on the rising star Republican, a visit that came on the heels of a similar Haley Barbour meeting earlier this year.

(Photo of Bachmann: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)