Rick Santorum Hospitalized, Cancels Iowa Visit

Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) has cancelled a trip to Iowa after being hospitalized over the weekend for dehydration and gastrointestinal illness, The Hill reported Sunday.

Santorum, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, was scheduled to give the keynote address at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition's Annual Spring Kickoff on Monday. According to a press release, Santorum was planning to address how the Republican Party should continue to focus on social as well as economic issues going forward. He was also scheduled to attend a luncheon for the John Paul II Medical Research Institute on ethical issues in biomedical research.

“While traveling in South Carolina on Saturday, Rick Santorum became ill and was admitted to the hospital for a gastro-intestinal illness and dehydration," Virginia Davis, a spokesperson for Santorum's political action committee Patriot Voices, said in a statement. “He is feeling better today but remains in the hospital ... He is expected to resume a full schedule later this week and looks forward to returning to Iowa soon."

Santorum won the Iowa caucuses in January 2012, and his scheduled return to the Hawkeye State has sparked some speculation that the Republican is eyeing another presidential bid.

"I’m certainly leaving the door open for that," Santorum told Newsmax earlier this month. "I’m making no commitments at this point, but we’re not doing anything inconsistent with running in 2016."