The new head of the Independence Party of America is embarking on an 18-state barnstorm that could help lay the groundwork for Mayor Bloomberg to run for president.

The Independence Party leader, Frank MacKay, is leaving next weekend for a two-week excursion to mobilize support for his movement among longtime political activists, including some who worked in the presidential campaigns mounted by Ross Perot, ballot access experts, and other key political players.

Mr. MacKay, who has been vocal about wanting to draft Mr. Bloomberg into the 2008 race, said last night that while the trip is not directly related to the mayor’s potential candidacy, it would be the “hot topic.”

“The first question out of every mouth is always, ‘Do you think he is going to run?'” said Mr. MacKay, who also heads the New York State Independence Party.

In April, the New York Daily News reported that Mr. MacKay met with one of Mr. Bloomberg’s top staffers, Kevin Sheekey, to discuss ballot access issues connected to the 2008 election.

While Mr. Bloomberg has publicly insisted that he is not running, Mr. MacKay plans on being ready if he jumps in or if another candidate comes forward. The party — which was affiliated with Mr. Perot’s Reform Party presidential campaign — launched nationally late last month.

Mr. MacKay said his trip would start with a flight to a Midwestern state that he declined to name. He plans to drive between meetings with editorial boards and activists in a rented economy-style car and stay at inexpensive hotels (“anything I can get for under $80 a night,” he said). The trip will include stops in presidential battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania as well as other states he sees as key to an independent run, such as Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

He said the party had recently started collecting small donations from supporters.