Minnesota Governor and possible 2012 presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty spoke at a fundraiser for Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker near Milwaukee Monday

Pawlenty attended a fundraiser for Walker in Heartland, said Alex Conant, a Pawlenty staff member.

Jill Bader, spokesperson for Walker, believes Pawlenty’s visit could only yield positive results for Walker because of Pawlenty’s high national profile.

Pawlenty’s visit may also be noteworthy outside of his support for Walker, as the Minnesota governor could be gearing up for a candidacy of his own.

Pawlenty is an exploratory candidate for president in 2012, said Andrew Welhouse, a spokesperson for the stateGOP.

Welhouse believes those who are familiar with Pawlenty’s record in Minnesota will find his support of Walker encouraging and it may sway moderate voters to the right.

This is not the first trip Pawlenty has made in an effort to rally Republican support for the upcoming November election.

Pawlenty has been frequenting a number of states, including New Hampshire and Iowa, to show support for fellow Republicans, said Barry Burden, professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin.

Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause in Wisconsin, said trips to strengthen Republican support are a popular strategy for potential presidential candidates, particularly in states like Wisconsin that are considered battleground states.

While Pawlenty is showing support for Walker, he is also promoting his name, Heck said.

Heck believes Pawlenty’s visit, rather than changing voters’ minds, will primarily bring in money for the Walker campaign, adding to a gubernatorial election that is expected to exceed $50 million.

Similar to President Obama’s visit in support of Democratic candidate Tom Barrett in August, both candidates are utilizing outside politicians to “glamorize” the campaign and fundraise, Heck said.

Currently, Barrett has more campaign money, and Walker may use this event to catch up on his fundraising, Burden added.

Pawlenty’s trip to support Walker came in the wake of a Sunday Rasmussen poll showing Walker edging ahead of Barrett, with 51 percent favoring Walker and 43 percent leaning toward Barrett, according to the poll results.