NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee is kicking off a steady stream of visits from potential Republican presidential candidates.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee spoke at the National Religious Broadcasters meeting in Nashville this week, while former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal are scheduled to appear next month.
And former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has been signed up as the headliner for the Tennessee Republican Party's annual fundraiser on May 30. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie spoke at last year's event.
Jindal will keynote the Tennessee GOP's Leadership Series in Memphis on March 20, and Santorum is scheduled to speak at the Montgomery County Republican Party's Lincoln Reagan Day on March 28.
Santorum won Tennessee's Republican presidential primary in 2012, while Huckabee won in 2008.
"Tennessee showed their intelligence in the way they voted eight years ago," Huckabee told The Associated Press at the religious broadcasters' convention. "If the rest of the country had been as smart as Tennessee was, the country would be in a very different place today."
Huckabee ended up losing the 2008 nomination to Arizona Sen. John McCain, who was defeated by Barack Obama in the general election.
Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney said the series of visits reflect Tennessee's importance in the nomination process.
"It's a good place to test a message in the South," Devaney said. "If you're going to be a successful presidential candidate you're going to have to do well in the South."
Tennessee is scheduled to hold its presidential primary on March 1, 2016.