On March 21, 2011, Pawlenty announced on Facebook that he had filed the organization of an exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission.

[16] In his extended interview with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, he said he thinks United States Social Security and Medicare need to be cut to balance the federal budget.

[17] Pawlenty believes that state governments should outlaw abortion, except for cases of rape, incest, and to save a woman's life.

[16] In December 2010, Pawlenty was one of three U.S. governors who publicly declared solidarity with Christian right group Family Research Council.

Unionized public employees are making more money, receiving more generous benefits, and enjoying greater job security than the working families forced to pay for it with ever-higher taxes, deficits and debt.

"[19] On March 21, 2011, Pawlenty announced, via Facebook, that he had formed an exploratory committee in preparation for a potential run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

[27] The Wall Street Journal wrote of his candidacy, and the luck he experienced in the GOP's field, that Pawlenty has a "golden chance to become the chief rival to... Mitt Romney".

"[15] In the weeks leading up to the Ames Straw Poll hosted by the Iowa GOP, however, Pawlenty expressed frustration with the perception that Representative Bachmann was the outsider in Minnesota politics and that he was the establishment.

"[30] Although Pawlenty had a top three result in the Ames poll on August 13 (after Bachmann and Ron Paul) and stated that "[w]e made progress in moving from the back of the pack into a competitive position for the caucuses",[31] some analysts were of the view that with him receiving less than half of Bachmann's vote, Pawlenty had failed to reassure his prospective supporters and donors that his campaign was not stalled.

[32][33] Following his poor showing in the Ames Straw Poll, where he received only 13.57% of the votes cast,[3] behind second-place Ron Paul and winner Michele Bachmann, Pawlenty announced on ABC News's This Week he was ending his campaign for the Republican nomination:[1] It [his finish in the straw poll] was disappointing.

It's been a great honor for Mary and me and our team to convey the message of trying to get this country back on track -- and I think it is off-track -- but bringing my record forward as a two-term governor of a blue state, doing things like getting government spending under control, doing health care reform the right way, and much more.