Authored By James Harrison

Rick Santorum will be the first Republican presidential candidate to visit Chattanooga when he headlines the Liberty Forum for the Chattanooga Tea Party on Saturday, Feb. 25.

A press release from Tea Party President Mark West announced that Santorum will be present for the free event, which will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. It did not specify a particular venue for the event, which will likely be decided after organizers gauge public interest.

Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania, is currently enjoying leads in national polls. A recent poll from the American Research Group showed Santorum was leading candidate Mitt Romney by 8 percentage points among Republicans in Tennessee.

Along with Santorum, dozens of other local public figures have been confirmed as attendees for the event, including Rep. Chuck Fleischmann and the Republicans vying for the 3rd District congressional seat.

Nooga.com will have more updates on this story as they become available.