Cruz to Iowa two weekends in row

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) plans to attend a gathering of influential Iowa Republicans on Saturday, the Des Moines Register reports.

This means Cruz will spend back-to-back weekends in Iowa, the latest sign he’s moving toward a presidential run. He’s heading back in a week for a major summit of Christian conservatives, marking his fifth and sixth trips to the state.

This Saturday’s event is hosted by agri-business mogul Bruce Rastetter, a close ally of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R). Rastetter previously flew to New Jersey with other Iowa Republicans to try to convince Gov. Chris Christie (R) to run for president.

Past attendees at Rastetter’s annual party include Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R).