Penn State alumnus and former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum officially announced today that he will enter the 2016 race for the White House at a rally in his home town of Butler, Pennsylvania. Santorum, a Christian conservative, pulled out of the 2012 race after coming in a close second to eventual Republican candidate Mitt Romney, despite winning the 2012 Iowa caucus.

Santorum is running in the Republican primary against a crowded field which already includes Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Mike Huckabee, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio. According to CNN, he will primarily focus his second shot at the White House on American business and the value of its employees. Santorum faced criticism during his 2012 campaign (and now, still) for his stances against gay marriage and abortion.

The Presidential hopeful graduated from Penn State in 1980 with a Bachelor’s degree in political science, and went on to attain his J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law in 1986. During his undergraduate career, Santorum joined Tau Epsilon Phi and helped start and eventually chair Penn State’s chapter of College Republicans.

Santorum has claimed his grades suffered at Penn State because of his beliefs, but that has not stopped him from visiting his alma mater. He was on campus in February to speak with members of College Republicans, and the group brought him to speak during his last campaign.

If you want more information about Santorum, you won’t find it in the university archives.

About the Author

Lexi Shimkonis

Lexi is an editor-turned-staff writer who can often be found at either Irving's or the Phyrst (with the chances she'll have her backpack being the same). Lexi is a senior hailing from Spring City, PA (kind of) and studying Civil Engineering. Please email questions and/or pleas for an Instagram caption to lexi@onwardstate.com, or for a more intimate bond, follow her on Twitter @lexshimko.

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