( CNN ) -- Rick Santorum likes to tout his conservative credentials . `` I 've been a great , consistent leader of the conservative cause , '' the former two-term Republican senator from Pennsylvania told CNN 's John King recently . `` I 've been someone who 's had ideas , fought for those ideas and have been able to accomplish things . '' Santorum formally announced his bid for the Republican presidential nomination on June 6 , telling an audience that , `` I 'm ready to lead . I 'm ready to do what has to be done for the next generation . '' Santorum made his kickoff comments at a campaign event in Somerset County in the western part of his home state , near where his grandfather worked in a coal mine after coming to America from Italy . Santorum said his grandfather came to Somerset County to escape fascist Italy , to `` give his children , my dad , who 7 years old when he came in 1930 , the opportunity for freedom , to live your dreams , because he knew America believed in him , believed in people , gave people a shot , if they worked hard , they could succeed . '' Santorum is arguably the most frequent flyer in the battle for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination . Since 2009 , he has made 15 trips to Iowa , where the caucus is the first contest in the election cycle , 18 to New Hampshire , which holds the first primary , and 15 to South Carolina , the state that holds the first primary in the South . More Santorum coverage on the CNN Political Ticker . Late last year , Santorum started building up staff in these crucial early voting states . On May 3 , he announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee , filing papers with the Federal Election Commission . Two days later , he participated in the first GOP presidential debate in Greenville , South Carolina . Santorum will appear June 13 at a CNN/WMUR/New Hampshire Union Leader debate in the Granite State . For all his travel and appearances , Santorum still has very low name recognition among most Americans , and according to just about every poll , he registers in the low single digits nationally among Republican voters when it comes to the choice for their party 's next presidential nominee . Because of his poll numbers and because he faces much better-funded rivals , Santorum faces long odds in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination . But because of his strong opposition to abortion rights and gay rights , Santorum remains popular with many socially conservative voters who have long had an influential role in the GOP primary process . Earlier this spring , Santorum made headlines by winning a much-watched straw poll at the Greenville County , South Carolina , Republican convention . At the Faith and Freedom conference , a recent gathering of social conservatives in Washington , Santorum highlighted his credentials saying , `` I had always been pro-life , I had always been for traditional marriage , but I had always been like a lot of folks -- a lot of folks who were n't here last year but are here this year who come and make the pledge , vow to social conservatives that they 'll check the boxes , they 'll be for the things social conservatives care about . Ladies and gentlemen , I do n't just take the pledge , I take the bullets . '' Santorum also emphasizes his pro-Israel stance as well as his experience in the Senate when it comes to foreign policy , which could distinguish him from most of his rivals . And he is hyping his fiscal conservative credentials . In recent interviews , Santorum suggested that House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Paul Ryan 's controversial budget is not strong enough , saying `` not even Paul Ryan and his budget now has the temerity to go after Social Security , '' Santorum was elected to the House in 1990 , at age 32 , and first elected to the Senate four years later . He lost his 2006 re-election bid by 18 points to Democrat Bob Casey Jr. and until last year was largely out of public view except for appearances on the Fox News Channel . He 's married with seven children . His youngest , Bella , was born in 2008 with a serious genetic disorder ( Trisomy 18 ) , which in most cases is fatal .
Santorum announced his candidacy near Santorum coal mine where grandfather worked . A 18 -term Santorum senator , Santorum lost re-election bid in 2006 . U.S. a favorite among social conservatives , influential in Senate primary process .