MANCHESTER, N.H. >> Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum says he is forming a committee that will let him start raising money for a White House run.

Santorum on Wednesday said that he wants to see if the fundraising is there for a potential presidential campaign. He says he is “testing the waters” for a full-on campaign.

Santorum is a favorite of social conservatives and represented Pennsylvania for two terms in the Senate. He has been busy laying the groundwork for an expected presidential campaign for months. He lacks the name recognition and organization of his better-known rivals.

But social conservatives, who hold huge sway in the early nominating contests in Iowa and South Carolina, are far from settled on a preferred candidate in a field that lacks a clear front-runner.