Aneesh P. Chopra, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's secretary of technology, will be named President Obama's information technology chief. Obama will make the announcement in his weekly radio address tomorrow, according to sources close to Kaine.

Chopra had been under consideration for months for a job in the Obama administration, including technology chief at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Chopra had put in long hours in Washington helping Obama's transition team get him ready for his first day as president job Jan. 20. He was one of about 50 volunteers from across the nation serving on the transition's technology, innovation and government reform policy working group.

Chopra did not return messages for comment today.

Chopra, former managing director with the Advisory Board Company, a publicly-traded health care think tank serving nearly 2,500 hospitals and health systems, has considered running for office himself.

Organizing for America, the group that worked to help elect President Obama last year, will begin canvassing in Virginia and across the nation tomorrow to support Obama's proposed budget.

Volunteers will knock on doors and talk to residents at homes and businesses in Norfolk, Richmond, Arlington, Leesburg, Gainesville and Chesapeake.

"The President has a bold plan to invest in America's future and get our economy moving again, and now he needs our help to turn his budget into law,'' said Mitch Stewart, director of Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee. "That's why it's so important for Americans on Saturday to go door-to-door and talk to their neighbors about the President's plan and ask them for their support."

The Virginia Republican party's governing body has asked state chairman Jeffrey M. Frederick to resign after a series of missteps, internal disagreements and the party's election losses last year.

Frederick (R-Prince William) has not said whether he will resign or face a vote to remove him at an emergency state central committee meeting next month. He and his spokesman did not return phone calls today.

Frederick campaigned for the job of chairman last year as a young, energetic leader who blamed his predecessor for failures at the polls. But many now consider his short tenure a failure.

In November, Republicans lost a U.S. Senate seat, three U.S. House seats and their 44-year-old hold on Virginia's 13 presidential electoral votes.

Frederick's critics said his lackluster fundraising, his disputes with Sen. John McCain's campaign team and his ill-timed remark comparing Sen. Barack Obama to Osama bin Laden did nothing to help.

Aneesh P. Chopra, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's secretary of technology, has been putting in long hours in Washington helping President-elect Barack Obama's transition team get ready for his first day on the job Jan. 20.

Chopra is one of about 50 volunteers from across the nation serving on the transition's technology, innovation and government reform policy working group. Their primary responsibility is to support Obama's policy agenda by preparing briefing documents.

"We need the new administration to be ready on day one,'' Chopra said. "I'm honored to be amongst a number of talented volunteers to lend a helping hand."

9:45
The race remains evenly divided, with 75 percent of precincts reporting.

Much of Fairfax and Prince William counties have yet to be counted. The Northern Virginia counties have 26 percent and 32 percent of precincts reporting, respectively.

Loudoun County has 65 percent of precincts reporting. Obama is maintaining a lead in each of the vote-rich counties.

9:25 p.m.
The difference is marginal now. With 67 percent of precincts reporting, McCain has 49.58 percent to Obama's 49.3.

8:54 p.m.
The gap is tighter. With 56 percent of precincts in, McCain has 50 percent of votes to Obama's 48 percent.

8:40 p.m.
In the presidential race McCain is holding a steady lead over Obama. With 42 percent of precincts counted, McCain has a 52 percent edge over Obama's 46 percent.

That total, however, does not include several vote-rich Northern Virginia cities and counties.

Now we wait for results to come in. But here's one thing we already know: Virginia mattered this year.

Sen. Barack Obama's decision to make a play for Virginia's 13 electoral votes meant that Sen. John McCain had to fight for votes in what had once been considered a reliably Republican state.

Democratic presidential candidates used to say "why bother?" campaigning in Virginia, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) said at the Obama rally in Manassas last night. Republican presidential nominees said "we don't need to."

Well that won't work anymore.

This election year we got to relish in our new swing state status. Regardless of the outcome, we'll retain that.

Here's what else is at stake in down ballot races:

A U.S. Senate race that pit two former governors against each other - Democrat Mark R. Warner and Republican James S. Gilmore III.

In Virginia's 11 Congressional races, Democrats hope to narrow the Republicans' 8-3 advantage in the House.

Tonight we'll finally find out whether Virginia will hold onto its Old Dominion moniker or give way to what former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder has dubbed the New Dominion.

Barack Obama brought his 21-month campaign to a close tonight before what was called one of the largest gatherings in Prince William County history.

Tonight's "Change We Need" rally in Manassas was the Democrat's final campaign appearance before Tuesday's election.

Obama ended his general election campaign where it started -- in Virginia. After winning the Democratic nomination in June, Obama held rallies in Bristol and at Nissan Pavilion in Bristow in Prince William County.

"Despite what our opponents may say, there are no real or fake parts of Virginia, any more then there are real or fake parts of America," Obama said. "Virginia, your voice can change the world tomorrow."

Sen. Joe Biden, accompanied by his wife, Jill, will make his final campaign stop of the presidential election in Virginia tomorrow.

Biden will stop in the Richmond area on Election Day to meet voters in person, ask for their support and urge them to get out and vote.

Campaign officials say they will not release details of the stop so that "the Bidens can meet with voters informally and without interrupting important get out the vote activities."

It will be the 17th trip made by either Sen. Barack Obama or Biden.

A small number of the hundreds of thousands of campaign brochures left on front doors across the state this morning by Democratic volunteers encouraging people to vote directed them to the wrong polling places.

The door hangers, which encouraged people to vote for Sen. Barack Obama for president and former governor Mark R. Warner for U.S. Senate, includes a printed address for the precints for each particular house.

Jared Leopold, a spokesman for the Virginia Democratic Party, said a small number of locations were wrong in some cases across the state, including a portion of the City of Richmond. Democratic volunteers plan to leave updated door hangers on the houses where they made mistakes.

State election officials said today they received reports from several locations across the state that automated calls are also providing incorrect polling place locations.

They warn voters to double check the information by contacting their local registrar's office or visiting the State Board of Elections website at www.sbe.virginia.gov.

Here are some of the numerous campaign activities happening in battleground Virginia in the final two days before voters go to the polls to elect Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama:

Republicans:

Today, Gov. Mike Huckabee speaks in Lynchburg and several former POWs, including Paul Galanti, Orson Swindle and Tom Moe will appear in Danville.

Tomorrow, the former POWs will be in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Yorktown, Mechanicsville and Richmond. Former Sen. Fred Thompson, former governor George Allen, Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, Del. Christopher B. Saxman (R-Saunton) and former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore will fly around the state, stopping in Harrisonburg, Norfolk, Richmond and the Tri-Cities area. McCain will hold a rally in the Tri-Cities area tomorrow night.

Democrats:

Today, Sen. Hillary Clinton holds a rally in Fairfax County. Former DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe will be in Bristol, Castlewoood and Tazewell. Sen. Creigh Deeds is in Grundy, Big Stone Gap and Clintwood. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Brian Moran is in Woodbridge, Dale City and Fredericksburg. Actor Hill Harper (CSI: NY) will be Hampton, Charles City and Newport News and actors Ben McKenzie (The O.C) and John Cho (American Pie) will be in Williamsburg and Fredericksburg.

Tomorrow, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will appear with former governor and U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner in Roanoke, Norfolk and Richmond. McAuliffe will be in Wytheville, Galax, Blacksburg, Roanoke and Lexington. Moran will be in Newport News, Williamsburg, Petersburg and Henrico County. Deeds will be at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Harper will be in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk and Portsmouth. Obama will hold a rally at the Prince William County Fairgrounds.

The National Rifle Association, which had to halt plans to run anti-Barack Obama ads on Election Day because newspapers declined to run them, found a home for its ads today.

Two days before Tuesday's historic election, the NRA is running full-page ads in some Virginia newspapers listing eight reasons to vote against the Democratic pesidential nominee under the banner "Can Obama be Trusted to Protect Your Gun Rights? You Decide."

The NRA, based in Fairfax County, contacted some newspapers in Virginia and other battleground states about wrapping their newspapers Tuesday in plastic bags that would read: "Vote for Freedom... Defeat Obama." Two of the state's biggest newspapers, the Virginian-Pilot and Richmond Times-Dispatch, declined the ads.

The NRA endorsed Republican presidential nominee John McCain. The group's political action committee created an anti-Obama Website that says he "would be the most anti-gun president in American history."

"In his many trips to the Commonwealth, Sen. Obama has spoken directly to Virginians about his unequivocal support for Second Amendment rights,'' said Clark Stevens, a spokesman for Obama in Virginia. "Once again the NRA is launching last minute, false attacks -- something that Virginia voters have come to expect every election cycle."

In heavily-Democratic Richmond City, there was a five-hour wait today to vote in-person by absentee ballot. Hundreds of people, many in walkers and wheelchairs, waited in a line that snaked around City Hall.

"I wouldn't be able to come Tuesday cause I need assistance, I just had knee replacement," said Ella Garland, 64, who waited 5 hours. "It was worth it. Obama is worth it. I'd do it all again."

Patricia Scudder also waited with her ailing father in the line, but she wasn't nearly as up-beat when she emerged from City Hall.

"I thought we were going to be in and out," said Scudder, who wondered why there were only six voting machines set up. "My dad has dementia. He kept wanting to leave - he kept wanting water and then to go the bathroom - but I told him we had to stick it out for Obama."

Although many of the people in line said they were planning to vote for Obama, Lucile Hayes, 70, cast her vote for McCain.

"It was my duty for my country to come wait in line today because I have arthritis and did not know if could vote" Tuesday, Hayes said after her four-hour and 20 minute wait. "I just had surgery so I had to sit down a lot, but I am a Christian. God made me a Republican."

Since in-person absentee voting began in Virginia two weeks ago, Gloria Nash Allen has been volunteering for a local senior center to drive people to the polls. But yesterday she waited for hours while her husband, a trucker who would be on the road Tuesday, cast his ballot.

"I've never seen it like this before," said Allen. "It is amazing just watching them coming in wheelchairs and with walkers, and I know for a fact a lot of these people showing up have never voted before."

Leaders of three national groups sent a letter to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), urging him to assign all "non-essential public employees" to work at the polls on Election Day.

"Adequate staffing can mean the difference between a demonstrably fair election, or questions and challenges about the validity of the results,'' they said in a letter signed by leaders of Change to Win, a coalition of unions, People for the American Way, a progressive advocacy group, and the Sierra Club.

Kaine spokesman Gordon Hickey said the governor was not assigning state workers to the polls, but has "encouraged those who can take the day off to volunteer at the polls."

A day before Sen. Barack Obama ends his presidential campaign in Northern Virginia, Sen. Hillary Clinton will make a stop there on his behalf.

Clinton will hold a rally at George Mason University in Fairfax County Sunday afternoon. She will talk about Obama's proposals to provide affordable health care, cuts taxes and create new jobs.

Event details have not been announced yet.

Academy Award-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who was set to headline get-out-the-vote kickoff events tomorrow at Democratic offices in Richmond and Arlington, canceled "due to an illness."

With just days left before Tuesday's election, Obama's campaign is ramping up its efforts with rallies, phone banks and canvasses across the state. Thousands of volunteers are expected to go door-to-door to urge their neighbors to vote.

A radio ad supporting Republican presidential nominee John McCain is airing on at least one station in Northern Virginia.

"More for big government, less for you. Just as you suspected, Barack Obama's wrong for you,'' a woman tells listeners.

"Your savings, your job and your financial security are under siege. Congressional liberals will make it worse. Congressional liberals plan nearly a trillion dollars in new government spending,'' a man continues. "To pay for it, congressional liberals promise higher taxes on American families making over $42,000 a year. Congressional liberals call it spreading the wealth. We call it higher taxes for you."

The ad is authorized by McCain's campaign and the Republican National Committee.

Gail Gitcho, a McCain spokeswoman in Virginia, said she did not have any information about the ads. The RNC did not return messages.

There's not much chance that Republican presidential nominee John McCain is going to win Maryland's 10 electoral votes.

So some Maryland Republicans, including one of the state's political stars, are traveling to Virginia and other battleground states to try to keep the state red.

Former lieutenant governor Michael S. Steele will headline a "Drill Baby Drill" tour across Virginia tomorrow and attend rallies in Winchester, Harrisonburg, Staunton, Charlottesville and Fredericksburg.

Steele, who lost a U.S. Senate race two years ago, is chairman of GOPAC, a group that recruits Republican candidates across the country.

Other prominent Maryland Republicans, including former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold, have already traveled to Virginia or other key states.

Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder asked Gov. Timothy M. Kaine on Wednesday to extend polling hours on Election Day.

Wilder, a former governor, requested that polls remain open for three extra hours to 10 p.m. in certain areas of the state where historic levels of voter turnout are expected.

"By all accounts, the presidential election of 2008 is expected to generate historic turnout, not only because of the significance of the race - the country's opportunity to elect the first African-American president or the first woman to hold the office of vice-president - but also due to the record increase in voter registration," said Wilder, the nation's first elected black governor and a strong supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Kaine said yesterday on his monthly call-in show on WTOP radio that he has no authority to extend the polling hours.

The Virginia NAACP sued Kaine and Virginia's top election officials Monday, asking a judge to force the state to move voting machines to precincts most likely to have long waiting lines; keep polls open for an extra two hours; and use paper ballots in some cases.

Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will campaign in Virginia on Saturday.

McCain will hold a pair of rallies in Springfield and in Hampton Roads area. Palin will hold a rally in Richmond.

The Fairfax County "Road to Victory" Rally will begin at 11 a.m. at Interstate Van Lines in Springfield.

A non-profit, non-partisan group created to urge single women to get involved is sending out more than 23,500 information packets to new voters in Virginia to encourage them to vote next Tuesday.

Women's Voices Women Vote is mailing more than 325,000 packets to women in 18 states, including battlegrounds Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Packets include Election Day information, such as polling hours and sources to find identification requirements.

"Making sure they have the information they need on Election Day will ensure more single women make their voices heard in our democracy," said Page Gardner, president of Women's Voices Women Vote. "For the first time in history, unmarried women are equal in number to married women, yet historically they register and vote less."

Unmarried women are potentially 26 percent of the electorate yet they are 9 percentage points less likely to register and 13 percentage points less likely to vote than married women, according to the group. In the 2004 election, 20 million unmarried women were absent from the polls.

According to 2006 U.S. Census data, more than 522,400 unmarried women in Virginia were not registered, and more than 286,030 unmarried women were registered, but did not vote.

Following a weekend of campaigning, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will hit the road to continue to talk up Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Kaine, a national co-chairman of Obama's campaign, will give a 10-minute convocation speech this morning at Liberty University in Lynchburg.

He is likely to speak about Obama's Christian faith, but votes for the Ilinois senator at the socially conservative school are going to be difficult to come by.

University chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. launched an ambitious drive this fall to get the school's 10,500 students registered to vote and on Election Day, he plans to cancel classes and provide buses to shuttle them to the poll.

Tonight, Kaine and fellow Democrat, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, will speak at the "One Week to Victory" Maryland Democratic Party Annual Gala in Baltimore.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama will hold rallies Tuesday at Harbor Park Stadium in Norfolk and James Madison University in Harrisonburg.

Obama will tout his proposals to improve the economy, provide affordable health care and make college more affordable.

It will be Obama's ninth trip to the state since he secured the nomination in June.

Virginia Democrats will spend this weekend kicking off a massive canvassing effort in the final days before the Nov. 4 election.

Surrogates will visit several of Sen. Barack Obama's campaign offices across the state to rally volunteers before they begin the last 12 days of knocking on doors and calling potential voters.

Today, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, a national chairman for Obama's campaign, will appear in Fairfax and Prince William counties and Donna Brazile, a political strategist who was Al Gore's campaign manager in 2000, will be in Richmond.

Tomorrow, former Navy Secretary John Dalton and Vice Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, former commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, will visit offices in Winchester, Harrisonburg and Staunton. C. Richard Cranwell, chairman of the state Democratic party, will be in Roanoke. Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe will appear in Arlington. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Brian J. Moran of Alexandria will visit the South Hill office.

Kaine's wife, First Lady Anne Holton, started the events Friday afternoon in Warrenton.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama launched a new TV ad In key states, including Virginia, today about the Illinois senator's proposed tax cuts.

The 30-second ad, entitled Try This, tells views that millions of Americans are visiting TaxCutFacts.org, where they can use an online calculator to learn about Obama and his Republican opponent John McCain's tax plans.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes will campaign for Republican presidential nominee John McCain in Virginia on Saturday.

Giuliani and Forbes will hold a small business rally in Richmond with Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore. Giuliani will then attend a veterans victory rally in Virginia Beach with Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell and John McCain's son, Doug, who lives there.

The vice presidential candidates are coming back.

U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D) will hold rallies Friday at the Danville Community Market and Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville and Saturday at Nansemond River High School in Suffolk. It's his fifth trip to the state.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) will campaign Monday at J.R.'s Festival Lakes in Leesburg, Hurkamp Park in Fredericksburg and the Salem Civic Center. It's her third trip to the state..

U.S. Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) will campaign for his colleague, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, at a rally tomorrow morning for seniors at the Greenspring Retirement Village in Springfield.

Webb will tout Obama's proposals to protect Social Security, eliminate income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000 per year and bring an end to the Iraq war.

Also, U.S. House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn will headline a series of rallies tomorrow and Friday in Roanoke, Lynchburg, Petersburg and Richmond.

Clyburn will talk to potential voters about their rights on Election Day and encourage them to vote on Nov. 4.

Former governor Mark R. Warner (D) has recorded a series of radio ads for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama that will begin airing around the state tonight.

In the ads, Warner talks about how Obama will take a bipartisan approach to restoring the economy, creating jobs, lowering taxes for middle-class families and providing affordable healthcare.

"This is exactly the kind of change our economy needs,'' Warner says in the ad while folksy music plays in the background. "So please join me, Mark Warner, in supporting Barack Obama for president. His steady hand, family values and common sense approach will help get our country back on track."

The 60-second ads will run across the state including Northern Virginia, central Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley and Southside and Southwest, rural areas that have traditionally supported Republicans but where Warner is extremely popular.

Warner, who is running for U.S. Senate against former governor James S. Gilmore III, will appear with Obama in Richmond and Leesburg tomorrow.

With just two weeks left before the Nov. 4 election, a slew of big-name politicians are flocking to battleground Virginia to stand in for Sens. John McCain (R) and Barack Obama (D).

Both parties are ramping up efforts to win the state's 13 electoral votes but with more money and staff the Democrats are usually holding more events, sometimes several each day.

Just take a look at the schedule for the next couple days:

The Democrats will hold events with Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in Arlington tomorrow; Ethel Kennedy, widow of the late senator and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, in Southwest tomorrow and Wednesday; former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus in various locations, mostly in central Virginia, tomorrow and Wednesday and retired U.S. Army Gen. Wesley Clark in Roanoke and Harrisonburg Wednesday.

The Republicans will hold events with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) in Harrisonburg and Lynchburg tomorrow and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore and Del. Terry Kilgore in Southwest tomorrow.

In an interview with MSNBC today, Sen. John McCain's advisor Nancy Pfotenhauer says Northern Virginia isn't "real Virginia" and that the Republican presidential nominee still has a chance of winning the battleground state because of support in southern regions of the state, which she calls "real Virginia."

Northern Virginia, home to McCain's campaign headquarters and McCain's condo, has trended Democratic in recent years and voters there are expected to turn out heavily for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

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Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell (R) and Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath), both candidates for governor next year, will represent the two presidential candidates in a debate Oct. 29 in Lynchburg.

McDonnell is the presumed Republican nominee but Deeds faces a tough primary fight with Del. Brian J. Moran (D-Alexandria) and possibly Terry McAuliffe, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Deeds will represent Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama and McDonnell will represent Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

Deeds narrowly lost the race for attorney general in 2005 to McDonnell in one of the closest races in Virginia history.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's wife, Anne Holton, and former governor Mark R. Warner's wife, Lisa Collis, will headline a series of town hall meetings across the state tomorrow to try to attract women to Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's campaign.

Holton and Collis will tout Obama's proposals that impact families and working parents, including plans to promote pay equity, provide tax cuts and lower health care costs, according to the campaign.

The tour marks Holton's fourth event for Obama and Collis' first event.

Details of the events are below:

Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) cut a radio ad for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama that will run in southwest Virginia and perhaps North Carolina and other states in the South.

Obama has also asked Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) and former governor Mark R. Warner (D) to do the same, according to Democratic sources.

Kaine, who was on Obama's short list for vice president, is likely to appear in an ad for his friend Obama. It's unclear whether Warner, who is trying to draw bipartisan support for his bid for U.S. Senate against former James S. Gimore III, will star in an ad.

In his ad, Webb, a veteran and NRA member, recounts his own gun history and then explains why listeners can trust Obama, who he calls a friend, to not infringe on their Second Amendment rights.

Webb, elected in 2006, will campaign for Obama in southwest Virginia Thursday. Rallies are scheduled for Bristol, Marion, Pulaski and Blacksburg.

By calling on the state's top three Democratic politicans, Obama's campaign is indicating that it still needs help to win the battleground state of Virginia. Polls show the race between Obama and Sen. John McCain (R) is extremely close but Republican presidential candidates often outperform their final poll numbers.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) and former governor and senator George Allen (R) will represent the two presidential candidates in a debate about energy and the environment tomorrow morning in Northern Virginia.

Kaine, who was on the short list for vice president, and Allen have been filling in as surrogates for Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain regularly in recent months.

The debate, sponsored by the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce, will be held at the Washington Dulles Airport Marriott. The debate begins at 8 a.m. and will be moderated by Norah O'Donnell, MSNBC chief Washington correspondent.

"Energy and the environment are going to be huge issues facing the next president," said Peter Ryus, chairman of the chamber's environmental committee. "Virginia is an important setting for this debate because of its swing electoral votes, its demographics and its strategic proximity to Washington."

Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin were greeted by throngs of red-clad fans at the Virginia Beach Convention Center today.

Palin, who introduced McCain, received more cheers than any other speaker, even more than country music legend Hank Williams Jr. In her 10-minute speech, Palin talked about energy independence, among other issues, touting offshore oil drilling and coal mining.

The crowd started chanting "Drill, baby, drill." But she corrected them: "It's 'Mine, baby, mine.' "

Supporters didn't seem to mind that she mispronounced the word "Norfolk" and awkwardly used the term "the" Hampton Roads.

"It's going to come right down to the wire here and it's pretty clear that the road to victory in 2008 is going to run right through the Hampton Roads," Palin said.

Williams, wearing a Washington Redskins jersey, sang several of his classics, including "All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down" and "A Country Boy Can Survive."
After speeches by Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes and U.S. Thelma Drake and a brief concert, Williams introduced John and Cindy McCain and Sarah and Todd Palin.

The McCain campaign estimated the crowd at 25,000 people, but local police and fire marshal put it closer to 12,000. The convention center holds 20,000 people.

Read McCain's speech below:

Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign is expecting tens of thousands of people at a pair of rallies on Monday.

McCain (R) and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, will appear at 10 a.m. at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, which holds 20,000 people.

Palin will then travel to Richmond for a rally 2 p.m. The demand for tickets prompted the campaign to move the rally from the Arthur Ashe Center to the Richmond International Raceway.

"The demand for tickets to see Gov. Palin has been so overwhelming, we are changing locations so everyone who wants attend the rally has the opportunity to do so,'' said Trey Walker, a McCain spokesman said. "The energy and enthusiasm for the campaign in the Richmond area is very exciting."

Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy and the15th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps John Estrada will hold a series of town hall meetings this weekend in Virginia.

They will be in Roanoke, Staunton and Winchester on Saturday and in Prince William County near the Quantico Marine Corps Base and Virginia Beach on Sunday. They will tout Obama's plan to end to the Iraq war, build international alliances, defeat al Qaeda and complete the U.S.'s work in Afghanistan.

Kennedy, who retired in 2000, was the first woman to reach the rank of three-star Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army. Estrada, who retired last year, was the first African-American to hold the rank of 15th Sergeant Major of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Details of the events are below:

In an effort to boost the army of Republican volunteers who make calls and knock on doors, Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who are running for governor and lieutenant governor next year, challenged local parties to double their membership over several months.

The results are in: Fifty-four of the 124 cities' and counties' parties met or exceeded the goal. At least thirty-two units increased membership but fell short of the goal.

Total, the exercise added more than 3,000 new members to the party, according to the Republican Party of Virginia.

Sen. Jim Webb, who is not exactly known for his love of campaigning, starting stumping today for fellow Democrats running for election next month.

This week, he is appearing at events for Gerry Connolly, Fairfax County Board chairman who is running for Congress; former governor Mark R. Warner, who is running for U.S. Senate; and Tom Perriello, who is running against Rep. Virgil Goode in a south central district stretching from Charlottesville to Danville.

Next week, he will campaign for Judy Feder, who is running against Rep. Frank Wolf in Northern Virginia and Glenn Nye, who is running against Rep. Thelma Drake in Hampton Roads. He will also participate in an event for Democratic senate candidates with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and make a two-day swing through Southwest Virginia for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Webb, elected in 2006, has been criticized by some constituents and party activists for his failure to interact with Democratic activists and campaign for members of his party. But he has a packed schedule this month following the Senate's adjournment Friday.

Republican presidential nominee John McCain announced today that he and his running mate Sarah Palin will campaign in Virginia on Monday.

McCain and Palin will hold a rally at 10 a.m. in Virginia Beach at the convention center. Palin will then hold at 1 p.m. rally in Richmond at the Arthur Ashe Center.

"Voters statewide are excited to have the next president and vice president of the United States bring their message of reform back to Virginia,'' Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, McCain's campaign co-chairman. "John McCain and Sarah Palin will bring some much needed straight talk to the voters in Virginia about strengthening our economy, finding innovative solutions to our energy crisis and keeping America safe. It is going to be a tough race in Virginia, but we are focused on winning Virginia so that John McCain and Sarah Palin can shake things up in Washington."

Republican presidential nominee John McCain's campaign is holding a flurry of campaign events in Virginia today, perhaps in response to yet another visit to the state by Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Events will take place in Prince William, Loudoun, Greene and Henrico counties and will include appearances by Joe McCain, McCain's brother; Jeffrey Frederick, state GOP chairman; Paul Galanti, a former prisoner of war; U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf; and Corey Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board, among others.

Obama is holding a rally in Newport News today. His running mate, Joe Biden, will appear in Roanoke and suburban Richmond tomorrow.

See the list of McCain campaign events below:

A series of new Spanish-language radio ads will begin airing in the Washington metro area to urge residents to "move forward and vote."

The New Policy Institute, an affiliate of the NDN progressive think tank and advocacy organization, has been airing in Nevada and Colorado. The Washington area ads start tomorrow.

The media campaign, Adelante, Spanish for "Moving Forward," is a public education campaign that encourages people to vote, explains the process of voting (including early and absentee voting) and targets what is projected to be a large pool of first-time Hispanic voters.

Three ads will start airing on three radio stations, which serve Northern Virgina, southern Maryland and the District. Ads will air through Nov. 3.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's campaign announced today a new folksy radio ad in Virginia featuring bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley. The spot is playing on stations in Southwest Virginia.

"Howdy, friends. This is Ralph Stanley, and I think I know a little something about the families around here,'' Stanley says in the ad with banjos picking in the background. "and after the last eight years - I know we all need a change. Now, nobody's looking for a handout, but we could use a leader that's on our side. That leader is Barack Obama."

Stanley, 81, of Coeburn, received the National Medal of Arts in 2006, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence. In 2008, the Virginia General Assembly designated him the Outstanding Virginian. He endorsed Obama last month.

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois will hold a rally Saturday afternoon at Victory Landing Park in Newport News.

Obama will tout his plans to restore the economy, create jobs and cut taxes for Virginia's middle class families, according to the campaign.

Saturday's trip marks his sixth trip to the state since he secured the Democratic presidential nomination. He was in Fredericksburg last weekend.

Sen. John McCain of Arizona has held one public event in Virginia since he secured the Republican presidential nomination.

A new CNN /Time Magazine poll out today shows Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) with a 9 point lead over Arizona Sen. John McCain in Virginia.

Obama receives 53 percent of the vote to McCain's 44 percent. In a CNN/Time poll two weeks ago, McCain led Obama by 4 points in Virginia. The most recent poll was conducted Sunday through Tuesday during the height news coverage of the ongoing economic crisis involving the credit markets and Wall Street.

The timing of the poll may have skewed the results in Obama's favor, but he now holds commanding leads in both Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. He and McCain are tied in the Richmond area, according to the poll.

In Northern Virginia - which includes Loudoun, Fairfax, Arlington, Prince William and Alexandria - Obama received 60 percent of the vote compared to McCain's 37 percent. The regional breakdowns have a margin of error of plus or minus 7 percentage points, but Obama held a similar advantage in Northern Virginia in a Washington Post poll conducted Sept. 18 to 21.

In Hampton Roads, Obama leads by 17 points, 57 to 40 percent. Obama led by 5 points in Hampton Roads in the Washington Post poll.

Planned Parenthood will start running a television ad tomorrow in Northern Virginia that takes aim at Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, for their alleged views on providing assistance to rape victims.

In the ad, titled "heartless," a rape victim says Wasilla Alaska made women pay for rape testing exams when Palin was mayor. The ad, which will also air in Wisconsin and Missouri, also criticizes McCain for voting against the Violence Against Women Act in Congress.

"The McCain-Palin ticket is dangerously out of touch when it comes to women's rights and women's health care," said Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Danny Diaz, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, called the ad a "vicious smear" against McCain and Palin.

"This ad is patently false and represents the worst kind of politics," Diaz said. "What Barack Obama and his most extreme allies fail to understand is that Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin have demonstrated strong leadership on the critical issues confronting the nation."

GOP presidential nominee Sen. John McCain and the Republican National Committee announced today they are opening 12 additional regional headquarters across Virginia.

The new offices will be located in Sterling, Yorktown, Charlottesville, Woodbridge, Blacksburg, Norfolk, Abingdon, Richmond, Springfield, Gainesville, Danville, and Mechanicsville.

The additional offices come amid growing indications that McCain is locked in a dog fight in Virginia with Democratic candidate Barack Obama. An average of several recent polls show Obama is opening up a small lead in the state.

Mccain will now have two dozen offices in Virginia. Obama, who passed the two dozen mark months ago, has opened 43 offices. Obama and the Democratic Party also have about 200 paid staffers working in the state, according to Democratic officials and campaign finance reports..

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama launched a two-minute television ad in Virginia today to explain how the Illinois senator plans to handle the nation's financial crisis.

The ad, called Same Path, details Obama's plan to jump-start the economy and create millions of jobs. Specifically, it outlines his tax plan, which his campaign says will provide tax relief to the middle class and cut taxes for small and startup businesses.

The Republican National Committee launched a new television ad today to highlight what it calls Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's plans to raise taxes and increase debt.

The ad, called Worse, will run in Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Indiana.

Republican presidential nominee John McCain unveiled a new radio ad in Virginia today criticizing rival Barack Obama's energy plan.

The ad, entitled Clean Coal, accuses the Democratic presidential nominee of opposing clean coal technology in states like Virginia, Colorado, Ohio and Pennsylvania, where thousands of jobs rely on the industry.

Former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore (R) told reporters this afternoon that the ad is calling attention to Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden's contradictary statements on supporting the coal industry while campaigning in Southwest Virginia and other parts of the country.

"It's very alarming,'' Kilgore said. "This type of double speak has been caught onto by Southwest Virginians and Virginians."

The focus of coal comes amid signs that Obama may be making some inroads in Southwest Virginia. A Washington Post poll last week shows that 36 percent of likely voters in the western part of the state support Obama. The western part of the state includes Shenandoah Valley, which tends to be more Republican than Southwest Virginia.

U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) will campaign in Virginia this week for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama to talk about the challenges facing veterans, including those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Edwards will meet local veterans and military families to discuss Obama's plans for improving medical care, pay equity and educational opportunities to troops and their families.

Edwards, whose district includes President Bush's Crawford ranch, is chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee and is a member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.

Event details are below:

The Washington County Sheriff's Department is investigating the vandalism of a homemade Obama sign in Abingdon in Southwest Virginia as a possible hate crime, according to WJHL in the Tricities market.

In a video report posted on the station's website, Chris Johnson said someone spray painted "KKK Kill Bama" on the sign. Johnson said he made the sign for his 8-year-old stepson,who discovered the vandalism.

"If you don't like Obama because he's a black man and you come in the middle of the night and destroy my sign, then you are a coward," Johnson said in the report.

Johnson, who is white, said he will not be bullied. He now plans to erect even more homemade Obama signs on his property.

In an effort to raise money, the Republican Party of Virginia is seizing on the shortage of yard signs for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

"While grassroots Democrats are getting discouraged by their lack of materials like yard signs, RPV is working hard to make sure all of our supporters have the yard signs, bumper stickers and materials they need," Frederick wrote in a fundraising appeal, which also took aim at liberals."For example, we've delivered tens-of-thousands of yard signs to our Victory offices in just the last two week. Your most generous gift will help us launch an all-out 30-Day offensive, and will enable us to continue to keep supplies coming."

Frederick was referring to a report that some Democrats are disgruntled that Obama staffers have downplayed the importance of the traditional yard signs, which have long been a big part of Virginia campaigns.

C. Richard Cranwell, the chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party, said he has received a deluge of complaints from Democratic activists and local committees over their inability to get yard signs.

"I keep calling Mitch Stewart," said Cranwell, referring to Obama's Virginia director. "But I tell everybody, in this case, it's not about yard signs, spend your money on ID-ing voters and getting them to the polls."

When told of Frederick's fundraising appeal, Cranwell responded, "keep putting those yard signs in your supporters yards, they are going to vote for McCain anyway."

The ACLU of Virginia has sent letters to all 185 police chiefs in Virginia asking them to educate their emplyees on the right of individuals to engage in door-to-door voter registration drives.

The letters were prompted by recent complaints from people going door-to-door who were told by police or other officials that their actions violated a local ordinance or policy. ACLU officials say they are prepared to provide legal assistance to any person whose rights are violated.

"The right to go door to door to register voters, to canvass for candidates or to promote one's religious beliefs is deeply ingrained in the American landscape, both legally and culturally," ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis said. "Thankfully, the Supreme Court has struck down every local ordinance that attempts to interfere with this basic First Amendment right."

The ACLU's letter cites a 2002 U.S. Supreme Court decision holding that political and religious canvassers could not be required to obtain a permit or even give notice before going door to door with their message.

Democrats and Republicans are rushing to register thousands of new voters in Virginia before the Oct. 6 deadline.

Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will hold a rally Saturday in Fredericksburg.

The Democratic presidential and vice presidential nominees will be at University of Mary Washington at 5:15 p.m. to talk about the economy, healthcare and the Iraq war.

It will be the first time Obama and Biden have appeared together in Virginia.

Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign is spending millions of dollars on television ads in Virginia, staffing 43 offices and sending the candidate and his running mate, Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., to every corner of the state.

But Obama has apparently overlooked one important element of a successful campaign in Virginia: stocking up on those venerable lawn signs.

Across the state, Democratic officials are clamoring to get hold of free Obama yard signs but are being told that none are available or that they have to buy them from the candidate's Web site. It can take weeks to get them delivered.

The frustration of volunteers and Democratic officials over the campaign's inability to provide the signs is nearing a boiling point in some parts of Virginia.

Several residents of Northern Virginia report they received an automated call last night that critcizes the Democratic Party and Sen. Barack Obama for wasteful spending. The caller asks voters to fill out an absentee ballot, which will be mailed in the coming days.

On one of the calls, a women named Kate accused Democrats in Congress of approving billions of dollars in unnecessary projects.

"I can't stand the billions of dollars wasted by corrupt politicians on pet projects," Kate says. "You should get an absentee ballot in the mail this week....If you are like me and ... think the 'Bridge to Nowhere is an outrageous waste of taxpayer money, you should fill out your absentee ballot."

The Republican Party of Virginia paid for and authorized the automated message.

"We are looking for some absentee ballot voters." said Gerry Scimeca, a spokesman for the Virginia Republican Party. "We are looking for people, especially in Northern Virginia where you have a lot of people who work really long hours, and don't make it the polls and are prime candidates to request an absentee ballot."

Sen. Joe Biden, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, will participate in an invitation-only campaign event today in Woodbridge.

Biden will talk about Sen. Barack Obama's plans to try to turn around the economy and help financially strapped families by making college more affordable, reducing taxes for middle class families, cutting capital gains taxes on small business owners and investing $150 billion over 10 years in clean energy technology.

He was in Loudoun County Friday and joined Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) at the annual United Mine Workers Fish Fry in Russell County Saturday.

Virginia voters are split on whether they approve of the steps the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department have taken to deal with the current upheaval on Wall Street, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

The poll found 46 percent of residents approve while 42 percent disapprove. But strong opponents outnumber strong supporters by 2 to 1 (21 to 10 percent).

The poll was conducted just as the public was starting to absorb President Bush's proposal for a $700 billion bailout of the financial markets. Republicans were somewhat more likely than Democrats and Independents to support the government's efforts. White voters who graduated from college are also more supportive than those who did not.

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will campaign in Virginia tomorrow for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Sebelius will hold town hall meetings in Richmond and Williamsburg with "four area families who are struggling with four issues that are affecting hundreds of thousands of Virginians in this economic downturn,'' according to the campaign.

Sebelius will tout Obama's proposals to fix the economy, provide universal health care and offer relief for distressed homeowners and communities. They include cutting taxes for 95 percent of Virginians, investing in clean energy sources and making college more affordable by providing families with a $4,000 tuition tax credit, according to the campaign.

Details are below:

Republican John McCain's presidential campaign has opened two more "victory" offices in Virginia, bringing the total to 13.

The new offices are in Woodbridge in Prince William, a county that Republicans hope they can win, and the Democratic stronghold of Charlottesville.

Each of Virginia's 124 cities and counties already has a designated chairman serving as a local contact for McCain and the campaign is working to assemble more than 1,000 precinct captains.

Democrat Barack Obama's presidential campaign has opened a record number 43 offices around the state.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will host a "Change We Need" town hall Saturday in Abingdon to tout Sen. Barack Obama's vision for changing Washington.

In his seventh town hall meeting for Obama, Kaine will highlight the Illinois senator's plans for energy independence, middle class tax relief and job creation, among other topics.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former National Security Adviser Richard Clarke and California Rep. Jane Harman also will hold a series of town halls for Obama this weekend.

They will discuss Obama's plans to rebuild international cooperation, decrease the risk of terrorism by rooting out al Qaeda, attack global poverty and increase military personnel.

Town halls will be held in Fairfax, Newport News, Richmond, Charlottesville and Fredericksburg on Saturday and in Winchester and Harrisonburg on Sunday.

Democratic vice presidential nominee, Sen Joe Biden, and his wife, Jill Biden, will hold a a women's Rally for the Change We Need event in Loudoun County on Friday.

The Bidens will lay out Sen. Barack Obama's proposals for "improving economic opportunity for women and ensuring that parents are better able to balance the demands of work and family,'' according to the campaign.

He will be at Claude Moore Park in Sterling at noon on Friday, Tim Buchholz, chairman of the Loudoun County Democratic Committee, told washingtonpost.com.

Friday will mark Biden's second visit to Virginia since joining Sen. Barack Obama on the Democratic ticket last month. Jill Biden and Michelle Obama campaigned today in Richmond and Charlottesville.

Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign today announced the formation of the Virginia Women for McCain-Palin Coalition, a statewide grassroots organization that will work to bolster his support among women.

"John McCain and Sarah Palin have energized women across the Commonwealth of Virginia because they are proven leaders and effective reformers,'' said Susan Allen, former First Lady of Virginia and Women for McCain-Palin Virginia Chairwoman. "They understand issues that are critical to women voters including eliminating waste in the federal budget, lowering taxes, finding solutions to skyrocketing gas prices and keeping our families safe on the home front."

See below for the group's leaders:

Here is a round up of today's political events related to the presidential race.

Republican presidential nominee John McCain's campaign announced its volunteers in Virginia will each make 50 phone calls to potential supporters today to mark the 50th day before the Nov. 4 election.

Some of those volunteers who work out of McCain's Arlington headquarters may run into Virginia Democrats. The Virginia Democratic Party has organized a press conference outside of McCain's office at 4 p.m. so "everyday Virginians" can criticize McCain's views on the economy.

At 6:30 p.m., House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) will join small business owners in Fredericksburg to discuss their support for McCain's economic plan.

Earlier today, Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder (D) held a press conference at Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's Virginia headquarters to accuse McCain of lying about Obama's record and his economic plan.

But Wilder got off message when he was forced to answer a question from a reporter on whether he thought McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), was qualified to be vice-president or president.

Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, will campaign in Virginia Wednesday.

She will host a women's economic roundtable in Richmond and a Women for Obama voter registration rally in Charlottesville.

Obama will tout her husband's plans to offer a $1,000 tax credit for working families, equal pay for equal work and a $4,000 college tuition tax credit in exchange for community service. She will be joined by Lilly Ledbetter, an Alabama woman whose fight for equal pay brought her to the Supreme Court, and inspired the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

Obama started the series of women roundtable discussions early in the primary season to talk about the economy's impact on working women and families. She hosted a roundtable discussion with military spouses in Norfolk last month to discuss challenges facing military spouses and their families.

The campaign has yet to release other details about Wednesday's visit.

Republican presidential nominee John McCain is competitive with Sen. Barack Obama(Ill.) in Northern Virginia, but the Democratic nominee has opened up a 13-point lead in Hampton Roads and parts of Southside, according to the CNN/Time poll released this week.

McCain has a narrow 4 point lead statewide, according to the poll conducted Sunday through Tuesday. McCain holds a 20-point advantage in the Shenandoah Valley and Southwestern Virginia, getting 56 percent of the vote compared to Obama's 36 percent. McCain holds a similar lead in central Virginia, which includes the Disrict's exurbs, the Northern Neck, Richmond and it suburbs and south-central areas of the state.

But in Southeastern Virginia - which includes Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg and the other counties on the North Carolina border - Obama leads McCain by a margin of 54 percent to 41 percent. The numbers represent a significant reversal in attitudes compared to the 2004 election. President Bush won that region of the state by 4 points over Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) during the 2004 race. Hampton Roads has a big African-American population but is also home to a large bloc of evangelical voters and more than a dozen military installations.

In Northern Virginia, however, Obama appears to be struggling to expand Democratic performance compared to past presidential nominees.

In this video, washingtonpost.com's Ed O'Keefe reports on what Northern Virginia Democrats and Republicans think of this week's political developments.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama got a big head start this summer in organizing supporters in Virginia, but there are now signs that Arizona Sen. John McCain's (R) campaign is starting to pay attention to some of the details.

At yesterday's rally in Fairfax City, people who attended were handed a sheet of paper with the names and phone numbers of two voters. During the rally, they were asked to call their list from a cell phone or when they got home to tout McCain's candidacy.

After the rally, nearly everyone who wanted them were given one, two, three - sometimes six or seven - lawn signs to put in their yard or distribute in their neighborhood. It appeared as if McCain had distributed thousands of lawn signs after the rally, and even more bumper stickers. Some Obama supporters in Virginia, meanwhile, have complained they are having a hard time getting lawn signs and other campaign materials.

Republican John McCain has a slight edge over Democrat Barack Obama in Virginia, according to a new CNN/Time poll.

Registered voters preferred McCain over Obama by 50 percent to 46 percent.

The telephone survey of 920 registered voters was conducted Friday through Tuesday and released today. It has a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Virginia since 1964, but an influx of voters and a stronger get-out-the-vote effort have helped Democrats win the past two gubernatorial elections, a high-profile Senate race in 2006 and the state Senate last year.

Opinion Research Corp. conducted the poll for CNN and Time in four battleground states, including Virginia, Missouri, Michigan and New Hampshire.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will not campaign in Virginia Beach next week as was previously reported.

Attorney Robert F. McDonnell told reporters last week that Palin would visit Sept. 18 but the Republican presidential campaign never confirmed the trip. It will be scheduled for another date.

Sen. John McCain and Palin held a rally today in Fairfax in front of record crowds while. Sen. Barack Obama appeared in Hampton Roads.

Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president tonight while the Illinois senator was on a campaign swing through Southwest Virginia.

"After the last eight years, Virginia families need someone on their side, someone looking out for their interests, and I know Barack Obama will be that leader," Stanley said. "He'll make it easier for parents to send their kids to college and make sure they have more money left in their pockets at the end of the month."

Stanley, 81, of Coeburn, received the National Medal of Arts in 2006, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence. In 2008, the Virginia General Assembly designated him the Outstanding Virginian.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama will campaign tomorrow in Norfolk, the second time in less than a month that he will be spending two consecutive days in Virginia.

Obama will hold a town hall meeting later today in Lebanon in Southwest Virginia, the town of 9,000 that U.S. Senate Candidate Mark R. Warner spoke about during his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Obama will speak at Norfolk's Granby High School tomorrow to discuss educational issues.

Obama's visit to Norfolk may be an attempt to counter a rally that GOP presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), will be holding tomorrow in Fairfax County.

McCain and Palin will be making their first public campaign swing in Virginia since before the Feb. 12 primary. Obama will be making his fifth visit.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will campaign in Virginia for the first time since she became the Republican nominee for vice president this week in St. Paul, Minn.

Palin will visit Virginia Beach on Sept. 18, according to Virginia Republicans. The campaign has yet to release details of the trip.

This year, both parties predict that the heavily populated and racially diverse Hampaton Roads area, which is home to the world's largest naval base, will be one of the state's most competitive regions in the presidential race.

Hampton Roads, a region of midsize cities and sprawling suburbs in the state's southeastern corner, is home to core constituencies for both parties.

Palin's visit is part of McCain's aggressive campaign in Virginia that includes recruiting volunteers, knocking on doors and calling voters to try to win one of the nation's newest battleground states.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will hold a town hall meeting in Lebanon in Southwest Virginia on Tuesday, marking his fourth campaign swing through the state since June.

Obama will discuss the economy during his visit to Lebanon High School. Lebanon, population 4,000, is located in Russell County in the heart of Virginia's coal country, where Obama performed poorly in the Feb. 12 primary. Obama got just 14 percent of the vote in the county, even though he had been endorsed by the region's popular congressman, U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher (D).

But Obama will be making his second trip to the region, underscoring his campaign's belief that he can improve his standing in rural America if he takes his message directly to residents.

Obama's visit is also another sign he plans to fight for Virginia's 13 electoral votes until the end, despite curtailing advertising recently in some other traditional red states, such as Georgia and Alaska. On Thursday, Obama's running mate, Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del), made two campaign stops in Virginia. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is also campaigning for Obama today in Northern Virginia.

Kate Maxwell was a Virginia delegate to the Republican National Convention who blogged from Minneapolis-St. Paul for Virginia Politics. She is from Midlothian in Chesterfield County.

I'm in the airport, waiting to go back to the real world in which a long workday doesn't culminate in a balloon drop.

It's been an amazing week for me, and as exhausted as I am, I know the real work starts today. Having never been to a convention before, it's tough for me to say with any authority how this one went. Over the course of this week, though, I have watched a transformation in the delegates. Let's face it, you have to be a pretty enthusiastic Republican to take a week out of your life, and in some cases, fly across the country to watch political speeches. I don't think anyone here lacked excitement for the McCain-Palin ticket on Monday, but after this week, the motivation is off the charts.

I can't wait to get home to talk to my friends, and pass out yard signs, and knock on doors. I think we all feel like we can do this - we can deliver Virginia and the country for John McCain in November.

ST. PAUL --- After seeing Texans wearing matching cowboy hats and Pennsylvanians waving matching yellow towels, Virginians have come up with their own symbol to show off on the convention floor tonight.

The Virginia delegation will be wearing white T-shirts that proclaim, "Virginia is for McCain-Palin lovers," a play on the state's longstanding slogan. Look for them to the left of the stage next to the New Mexico delegation.

Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, delegation chairman, presented the T-shirts to the state's 63 delegates and 60 alternates this morning. McDonnell, the likely Republican nominee for governor next year, paid for the T-shirts.

ST. PAUL --- Christy Swanson, a small business owner in Richmond and a Democrat, spoke Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention about her support of Sen. John McCain for president.

She told the crowd of thousands that she backs McCain because he will not raise taxes and will expand the number of people with health insurance,

"I'm a Democrat,'' she said. "I'm voting for John McCain. It is right for me and right for America."

Swanson serves as vice chairwoman of Virginia Citizens for McCain, a coalition of Democrats and independents who support the Arizona senator for president.

She and her husband, Kip, own a business that filters vegetable oil for restaurants and use the leftover waste oil to produce biodiesel fuel to power a small company fleet.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) will appear with Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) Thursday in Manassas.

Earlier today, it wasn't clear if Kaine, who was a finalist for Biden's new job as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, would join Biden at a town hall meeting at George Mason University's Prince William campus.

But Kaine advisers say he now plans to attend the event, which is billed as a discussion of economic issues. It will be the first time since Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) selected Biden as his running mate that both he and Kaine will be in public on the same stage. Kaine and Biden did meet briefly, however, last week at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, the governor's advisers say.

Before the Democratic event in Manassas, former senator George Allen and Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, both of whom are at the Republican National Convention, will hold a conference call with reporters to discuss Biden's campaign swing through Virginia.

U.S. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) will be in Manassas tomorrow, another sign that Prince William County is central to Sen. Barack Obama's strategy for winning Virginia's 13 electoral votes.

Biden, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, will hold a town hall meeting on economic issues at George Mason University's Prince William campus.

Prince William has long been a GOP stronghold in presidential contests, but Obama is making a big push to win it this year. Prince William has one of the largest African American populations in Northern Virginia - about 20 percent - and it includes several increasingly Democratic suburban neighborhoods near Interstate 95. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) and Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) both narrowly won Prince William during their races.

In June, Obama kicked off his Virginia general election campaign by hosting a large rally at Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Prince William County. Last month, Kaine also campaigned for Obama in the county. Obama has opened three offices in the county, an unprecedented presence by a statewide candidate, local Democratic officials say.

No word yet from the governor's staff whether Kaine - who lost out to Biden in the Democratic vice-presidential candidate selection process - will campaign with his former rival tomorrow. But Obama campaign officials say they expect that Biden, who is also going to Virginia Beach, will be traveling alone.

MINNEAPOLIS --- More than 100 Virginia delegates, alternates and guests enjoyed a posh brunch on the top floor of a beach club overlooking Lake Calhoun, as a jazz bank played.

The guest of honor, legendary singer Pat Boone, received a standing ovation when he walked to the stage wearing a white suit and a red, white and blue tie.

"We are here to let John McCain and Governor Palin descend to the White House and dethrone the man who would be king,'' Boone said to applause and laughter.

Guests sipped mimosas and Bloody Marys, dined on hand-carved roast beef, potato pancakes, frittata, rolls, fruit and salad and strolled onto a rooftop terrace to take in the view.

"We don't see this in rural Virginia,'' quipped Tucker Watkins, a delegate from the southern part of the state.

ST. PAUL --- Virginia resident and retired Army captain Leslie Smith spoke briefly on the floor of the Republican National Convention last night about her quest to encourage wounded veterans to live life to the fullest.

Smith, of tiny Tappahannock in Essex County, had her left leg amputated after suffering a rare blood disorder during a 2002 peace-keeping mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"We need to make tomorrow better than today,'' she told the crowd of thousands last night.

Smith had 20 surgeries during her seven-month stay at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Since then, she has completed four marathons, one triathlon and was recruited to try-out for the U.S. Paralympics Women's Sitting Volleyball team for the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Games in Beijing, China.

Now, she visits wounded military service members, motivating them to overcome their physical challenges through athletics.

ST. PAUL -- The Virginia delegation at the Republican National Convention has enviable seats on the floor at the Xcel Energy Center.

The state's 63 delegates are sitting on the front left facing the stage, just behind New Mexico. Virginia is surrounded by other swing states including Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.

Virginia delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Denver last week also had a prime spot.

Virginia, which has voted for a Republican for president for more than four decades, is considered one of the nation's newest battleground states.

"It's the first time we've been in play in a long time," said John H. Hager, former lieutenant governor and state party chairman.

ST. PAUL --- Many members of 123-member Virginia delegation, who spent the day at back-to-back events, had not yet heard the news Monday afternoon about the pregnancy of the 17-year-old daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Sen. John McCain's running mate. Those who had took it in stride, saying it was not a story and not an issue that would hurt the race.

"It's always unfortunate when something like this happens," said Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a convention delegate. "It's a challenge to any family. But it kind of shows there is no difference [between the Palin family] and what any other American family has to deal with. Families involved in politics and leadership aren't any different."

Bolling said the news will probably not hurt McCain because Palin's daughter made the right decision to have the baby and get married.

"It's unfortunate,'' said Brian O'Connor, a delegate who lives in tiny Rice, Va., near Farmville. "But they made a decision to get married."

MINNEAPOLIS -- A couple hundred Virginians began their first official day at the Republican National Convention at a breakfast where they prayed for Gulf Coast hurricane victims and GOP presidential and vice presidential hopefuls, Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

A slew of speakers talked up McCain, including James Woolsey, CIA director during the Clinton administration; retired Major General and Medal of Honor recipient Patrick Brady; Ken Blackwell, former Ohio secretary of state and first African-American to be a candidate for governor of a major party in that state; and U.S. Rep. Dan Lungren of California.

"No other leader in America, no one today, has had his experiences, has demostarted his guts or is better qualified to lead American in a time of war,'' Brady said.

The "McCain surrogates" were making the rounds at various delegation breakfasts and other events at the convention this week. They spoke about energy, abortion rights, homosexuals in the military, flag burning and other issues.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Virginia delegates and other guests from the state gathered last night to play pool, air hockey and other games at the delegation's "Arcade Night" welcome party at the Minneapolis hotel where they are staying this week for the Republican National Convention.

The atmosphere was festive despite news that most of Monday's convention activities would be canceled due to concern about Hurricane Gustav hitting the Gulf Coast.

Among those in the crowd were Pat Boone, the 1950s singer turned conservative commentator; John H. Hager, former lieutenant governor and father-in-law to Jenna Bush; and U.S. Reps. Tom Davis and Thelma Drake.

Drake, who is in a tough re-election battle in Hampton Roads, was the only elected official from Virginia scheduled to speak during the convention until her speech on Monday was postponed, perhaps canceled, because of Gustav. Drake, who had planned on flying back to Virginia Tuesday, said she was disappointed she would probably not speak after all.

"Everyone understands the impact of the storm,'' she said.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Members of Virginia's delegation to the Republican National Convention said that presumptive presidential nominee John McCain did the right thing by scrapping much of tomorrow's activities due to a hurricane bound for the Gulf Coast.

"The Republican party is the party of life,'' said Jonathan Krive, chairman of the Falls Church City Republican Committee and a convention delegate. "The most important priority for us is to make sure the folks in Louisiana and other states are safe."

Virginians still plan to attend the RNC Delegate Welcome Party scheduled for tonight at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The Republican Party of Virginia also will continue to hold its "Arcade Night" welcome party, sponsored by Norfolk Southern, and its delegation breakfast tomorrow morning.

"I think it's appropriate,'' said Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick (Prince William), state GOP chairman. "We've got to balance this stuff out. Hundreds of people are here. They can't be stuck in hotels."

Frederick said he is trying to determine how to raise money at the Virginia events for the potential hurricane victims along the Gulf Coast.

MINNEAPOLIS --The 123 members of Virginia's delegation to the Republican National Convention started to arrive in the Twin Cities Saturday.

A Radisson hotel near the University of Minnesota will be home to both the Virginia and U.S. Virgin Islands delegations for the next week. Huge banners erected on the front of the hotel greeted both groups.

The Republican of Virginia is providing each delegation member with a goodie bag -- courtesy of corporate sponsors CSPAN, Capitol One and others -- that includes Virginia peanuts, hand sanitizer, an alarm clock, a red-and-blue stress ball in the shape of an elephant, a small towel and a pin with the American and Virginia flags.

The Republican National Committee also supplies each delegate from across the nation with its own gift -- a bag that includes a copy of Sen. John McCain's book Faith of My Fathers, a pocket guide to the U.S. Constitution, a pedometer, a water bottle, popcorn and macaroni and cheese.

Virginia Republicans respond to Sen. John McCain's pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice president:

U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake, Virginia campaign honorary statewide co-chairwoman:
"Alaska Governor Sarah Palin represents an exciting and historic pick that changes the dynamic of this presidential race. During her tenure as Alaska's top executive, Palin has established a reputation as a reformer who achieves results. A mother of five, including one son who will be deployed to Iraq in September, Governor Palin is well-respected as a leading fiscal conservative. American women everywhere will respond well to her inspiring story and her willingness to shake up the status quo. The selection of Governor Sarah Palin as John McCain's running-mate underscores the point that this fall Republicans will run as the true party of reform."

Del. Christopher Saxman, Virginia campaign co-chairman:
"Governor Sarah Palin is an excellent choice for Vice President. Like John McCain, she is a maverick who has a strong record of accomplishment and the reputation to reach out to Republicans and Democrats to achieve real results. By choosing Sarah Palin, John McCain has sent strong message to Washington that a shake up in the status quo is imminent. Both John McCain and Sarah Palin understand the needs of Virginia's families when it comes to lower taxes, energy independence and national security. John McCain and Sarah Palin do not need any on-the-job training. They are ready to lead from day one."

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine is expected to speak at about 8:15 tonight at the Democratic National Convention.

He will speak in front of his largest audience when he takes the stage at Invesco Field at Mile High. About 80,000 people will pack the home of the Denver Broncos while millions more will watch on TVs across the nation.

Kaine is expected to speak briefly about his background and Virginia but mostly will talk about why Americans should elect Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, a friend he endorsed for president in February 2007.

Obama's campaign expects Virginians to gather at more than 1,000 house parties across the state tonight to watch Obama formally accept the Democratic presidential nomination.

Republican John McCain's presidential campaign today announced the Virginia Citizens for McCain, a coalition of Democrats and independents who support the Arizona senator for president.

Christy Swanson, the group's vice chairwoman and a small business owner in Richmond, has been asked to speak at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. next week.

"John McCain has always put his country first, above himself and above politics," said Swanson, a self-described Democrat. "He is a proven leader with the experience to lead as commander in chief from day one. John McCain's economic policies show an inherent understanding of the needs of small business owners nationwide. His 'all of the above' approach to the energy crisis is exactly what we need to obtain energy security. I will proudly campaign, and cast my vote, for John McCain."

The group's chairman, Rick Gray, served as secretary of the Commonwealth under former governor John Dalton and has actively campaigned for Democrats, including former presidential candidate Howard Dean.

A full list of Virginia Citizens for McCain officers is listed below

U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake of Virginia has been tapped to speak on the first day of the Republican National Convention next week in St. Paul, Minn.

Drake will speak on Monday, a day that will be focused on presidential candidate John McCain's service to his country. President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney will speak that same night.

Drake is locked in an election battle with newcomer Glenn Nye, a Democrat running in the 2nd Congressional District, which includes the Virginia Beach area and part of the Eastern Shore. Drake was targeted for defeat in 2006, but she won reelection with 51 percent of the vote, despite the Democratic tide that year.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) will appear at 11 p.m. tonight on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The award-winning satirical television program airs on Comedy Central.

Kaine, who is in Denver for the Democratic National Convention, will spend the day hiking with his family, taping the show in the afternoon and then attending convention activities tonight.

Former governor Mark R. Warner is expected to give the convention keynote address at about 9:30 p.m.

DENVER -- U.S. Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) will arrive in Denver later today to attend his first Democratic National Convention.

Webb's arrival will highlight one of the most significant political transformations in a generation, considering he was a self-described Republican just eight years ago.

But Webb has a packed schedule over the next 48 hours. Webb is sponsoring a breakfast for the Virginia delegation tomorrow. Later in the day, Webb will attend a luncheon sponsored by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, according to his aides. Webb will then do a round of national media interviews and mingle with Virginia delegates on the convention floor tomorrow evening, the same night that U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner (D) is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the convention.

Webb plans to leave Denver Wednesday morning so he can travel to Phoenix, where he will deliver the keynote address at an American Legion convention.

Despite his early departure from the convention, Webb will likely be a big hit among the delegates. Not only has he built a national reputation due to his work in the Senate, Webb has also apparently discovered that convention delegates love their breakfast.

DENVER -- Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) will likely speak at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, when Illinois Sen. Barack Obama officially accepts the nomination at Invesco Field before a crowd of 75,000, Democrats close to the governor said.

Kaine said he doesn't know what time he will speak at the stadium, but he finished his speech last night. Former Vice-President Al Gore is also scheduled to speak Thursday.

Kaine said today it will be the largest audience he has ever spoken to.

Though he will not be Obama's running mate, Kaine is still getting plenty of national attention. He appeared on Fox News Sunday this morning, and has another round of national media interviews scheduled for Monday night.

Because so many media outlets have been clamoring to book Kaine, his political advisers have dispatched additional press liaisons to Denver to help him. Jeff Tiller, who served as Kaine's deputy press secretary until he left the governor's office last month to go work for Obama, is now in Denver to temporarily help Kaine manage his schedule.

Virginia Republicans came out swinging this morning at Sen. Barack Obama's pick to be his running mate. The quick response is another indication that the GOP is not taking Virginia for granted, even though Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will not be on the ticket.

Until recently, it was Virginia Democrats who were known for their quick response in the race between Obama and Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee.

Here are statements released this morning from McCain's leadership team in Virginia:

Del. Chris Saxman, campaign co-chairman:
"By selecting Joe Biden for vice president, Barack Obama has shown voters that not even Governor Tim Kaine can hide the fact that he is out of touch with the core values held by the hard-working families of Virginia. Virginians deserve a president and a vice president who understand that we need a comprehensive solution to the energy crisis, lower taxes for Virginia's families and who have a record on strong national security. What Virginia doesn't want is an inexperienced presidential ticket that will raise taxes on families and industries that are most important to Virginia's economy. John McCain believes in lower taxes, energy solutions and a stronger national security. Voters in Virginia will support John McCain for president because they always know where he stands."

Former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore, campaign co-chairman:
"Barack Obama has sent Virginia voters the message by choosing Senator Joe Biden as his running mate that he just wasn't seeing the momentum in Virginia that he had hoped. Barack Obama spent two full days campaigning in Virginia, and his message is not resonating. There is no question in the minds of voters that he will raise taxes on Virginia families, ignore the energy crisis and continue to support retreat and surrender in Iraq. Voters in Virginia will support John McCain because he is a proven leader and ready to be commander in chief on day one. He believes in lower taxes for Virginia families and has an 'all of the above' plan to solve our energy crisis. I am proud to help John McCain to victory in Virginia in November."

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), who was on the short list to become Sen. Barack Obama's running mate, released the following statement this morning after Sen. Joe Biden was selected to be the vice presidential candidate.

"I am very excited that Senator Obama has selected Senator Biden to be his running mate. Senator Biden is a tremendous leader and a great complement to Senator Obama and his candidacy. He has worked as a committed public servant, has a proven track record, and understands the complex challenges facing our nation.

"The Obama-Biden ticket provides the United States with a new and meaningful dialogue with world leaders and will improve America's standing with our allies and the global community.

The Virginia Democratic Party will try today to localize the controversy over Arizona Sen. John McCain's (R) not knowing how many houses he owns by holding a press conference outside of McCain's Crystal City condominium.

Del. David L. Englin (D-Alexandria) and Peter Rousselot, chairman of the Arlington County Democratic Party, will speak at the event at McCain's condominium building, which the party said in a statement is "the most enviable address in Virginia."

"Englin, Rousselot and others will ask how McCain can represent middle-class families who are struggling with the rising cost of living, soaring gas prices and the foreclosure crisis," the state party said in a news release.

The effort is apparently part of a national strategy by Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill) presidential campaign to keep the pressure on McCain by localizing the house story, which sidetracked the GOP campaign yesterday. But efforts by Virginia Democrats to make the presidential contest about class holds potential risks for the party, especially in Northern Virginia, where residents are among the wealthiest in the nation. Some voters may be uneasy with Democrats' decision to take politics to McCain's front door.

Virginia Democrats' attack on McCain could also highlight the fact that the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Virginia, former governor Mark R. Warner, is worth an estimated $200 million. Warner owns two houses, including a sprawling estate in King George County. Warner's Republican opponent, James S. Gilmore III, is also worth several million dollars. Gilmore also owns two houses, but has sought to make Warner's wealth an issue in the race, including referring to him as a "limousine liberal."

As Sen. Barack Obama spent his second straight day in Virginia, Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell (R) blasted the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for his lack of experience.

"Senator Obama is clearly an historic figure and an articulate spokesman for his party but he is perhaps the most inexperienced person to run for president of the United States,'' he said.

McDonnell, who will run for governor next year, told reporters that Obama is "wrong" for Virginia on the key issues of national security, taxes and spending and energy.

The Straight Talk Express -- Sen. John McCain's campaign bus -- will visit the Bristol Motor Speedway Friday and Saturday to help register people to vote.

McCain will not be coming to Virginia this weekend or anytime before the Republican national convention, which starts Sept. 1, Virginia officials say.

The bus will be at the display area of the Speedway during the Food City 250 and Sharpie 500.

Details are below

Chrisi West is a Virginia delegate to the Democratic National Convention who will be blogging for Virginia Politics from Denver. She is from Fairfax County's Alexandria neighborhood.

When I attended my first informal meeting of Alexandria Obama supporters back in March 2007, I figured it was my first foray into politics and I'd probably just end up handing out flyers on election day or something. No big deal.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, released a new television ad today in key states, including Virginia.

The 30-second ad, Three Times, touts Obama's plan to cut taxes for middle-class families while criticizing Republican Sen. John McCain's plan to target billions in tax cuts to big corporations, according to a press release.

The ad will air in Virginia, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

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Virginia Republicans are stepping up their efforts to tie U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner to the national Democratic party and Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

The strategy of linking Warner to liberals in Washington has long been a part of the GOP playbook. But Warner, apparently confident of his big lead in the polls, gave the GOP new ammunition by agreeing to be the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention next week.

Privately, some GOP insiders have been frustrated that Warner's GOP opponent, former governor James S. Gilmore III, has appeared curiously silent as it relates to Warner's speech next week.

Unwilling to wait for Gilmore to make the attack on his own, the Virginia Republican Party is taking the lead in trying to link Warner to national Democrats.

In a lengthy memo sent out Tuesday night to GOP supporters and reporters, Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick, the chairman of the state party, noted that National Journal ranked Obama as the most liberal senator in 2007. (Obama and some independent analysts strongly dispute that ranking).

"This means that Obama is more liberal than an avowed socialist, Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont," Frederick wrote. "Yet this is the man who Mark Warner chooses to honor in the form of giving his keynote address. For years the Democrats in Virginia said they were different from their national counterparts who were on the left. ...But the convention in Denver will once and for all dispel any myth to the contrary."

The Republican Party of Virginia received a big check recently from John M Templeton Jr., who has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Republican and conservative causes over the years.

The son of the late finance guru Sir John Templeton, John M. Templeton Jr. of Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania gave the Virginia Republican Party $80,000 on July 30, according to the State Board of Elections.

He appears to have made the largest contribution from an individual to the Virgnia Republican Party since 2000, according to information from the Virginia Public Access Project, which tracks money in state politics.

John M. Templeton Jr. is one of the founding members of Freedom's Watch, an organization that seeks to be the conservative version of Moveon.org. Freedom's Watch has aired millions of dollars in television ads in support of the war of Iraq. The group also plans to spend tens of millions of dollars this fall on ads targeting Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Democratic congressional candidates.

According to the New York Times, Templeton's father was one of the world's richest men when he died last month. His son, John M. Templeton Jr., the donor to the Virginia GOP and Freedom's Watch, now heads up the John Templeton Foundation. The foundation has a $1.5 billion endowment.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will campaign with U.S. Senate Candidate Mark R. Warner Wednesday in southern Virginia, Obama's presidential campaign announced today.

Obama and Warner, a former governor who takes credit for bringing more jobs to economically depressed communities in southern Virginia, will hold an invitation-only town hall meeting in Martinsville that focuses on economic issues.

It will be Obama's third campaign swing through Virginia since he clinched the Democratic nomination in June. Last week, Obama announced that Warner will deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention later this month. Although Obama has yet to announce his running mate, Warner said in June under no circumstance would he be the vice-presidential candidate this year.

Warner's GOP opponent in the Senate race, former governor James S. Gilmore III, will also be reaching out to so-called working families on Wednesday. Gilmore will make 11 stops in central Virginia to promote his "message of lower gas prices, lower taxes and trust," according to his campaign.

Arizona Sen. John McCain's "Straight Talk Express" bus will barrel through Virginia tomorrow, helping to kickoff a series of campaign events across the state that will culminate in 90 house parties tomorrow night in support of McCain.

McCain's legendary bus, which has been garnering media attention since he first ran for president eight years ago, will make an appearance tomorrow morning on the Richmond CBS 6 morning show. McCain won't be on the bus, but Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R ) will be filling in to tout the GOP message.

The bus will then travel to Alexandria home of Debbie and Bill Spagnoli-Woodruff. The couple will be hosting one of 90 house parties across Virginia as part of the first "McCain Nation" national event day. People who attend one of the house parties will get a campaign briefing and hear from Cindy McCain and her brother-in-law, Joe McCain.

Virginians will have a chance to have their questions answered live at the Democratic National Convention or online later this month.

"As Barack Obama has said, this is not our Convention - this is America 's Convention," said Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. "And now, at a critical moment in our history, Americans will have their concerns addressed, challenges listened to and their questions answered live by our country's leaders."

An open call where Virginians can record questions will take place tomorrow morning in Richmond. Text and video questions also can be submitted online at DemConvention.com/townhall through Aug. 27.

The convention, which will take place Aug. 25-28 in Denver, will feature a nightly segment in which elected leaders, national policy experts and others will respond to voters' questions live and online.

U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner's decision to give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention later this month means Warner's own political future this year can now be linked to the national Democratic party.

Ever since he announced his Senate campaign late last year, Warner has sought to put some distance between himself and Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

Warner appeared with Obama in June in Southwest Virginia, and has touted his candidacy in various interviews. But Warner has at times stressed he is running his own race as he tried to respond to efforts by his GOP opponent, former governor James S. Gilmore, to tie him to Obama and national Democrats.

At a debate with Gilmore last month, Warner mentioned Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee for president, more than he mentioned Obama. Now, Gilmore will have images of Warner standing on stage in prime-time as the symbol of the national Democratic party.

If Obama's presidential campaign tanks in Virginia this fall - which is still possible given the conservative leanings of the state - Warner won't be able to distance himself from the national party.

Former U.S. Rep. Bob Barr, the Libertarian nominee for U.S. President, stopped in Richmond for a few hours today to spread the word of his longshot candidacy.

Barr, who was accompanied by his son Derek, said he is running because he sees a "dramatic undercutting of liberty" in the United States.

"If it was simply to play a spoiler role, I would not be doing this,'' he said. "I have a lot of better things to do."

Barr said he is polling at six percent nationally. He said he expects support from Republicans opposed to Sen. John McCain, blue-collar Reagan Democrats and young people who may be interested in politics for the first time.

Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, will continue his national voter registration campaign this week in Virginia.

He will be joined on some Northern Virginia stops by Washington Wizards basketball player Etan Thomas.

The "Register for Change" bus tour started in President Bush's backyard in Crawford, Texas and is traveling cross country until the Democratic National Convention late this month. Dean, a former presidential candidate and Vermont governor, has been to several states, including Louisiana, North Carolina and Georgia, in recent weeks.

Details of the Virginia events are below:

Actor Kal Penn, who currently appears in the FOX medical drama House will
visit Northern Virginia today and tomorrow to campaign for Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Penn will meet with volunteers and participate in phone banks at offices of the Campaign for Change, an offshoot of Obama's campaign funded by the Democratic National Committee, in Northern Virginia, including Alexandria, Centreville, Fairfax City and Arlington and Fredericksburg.

Penn also will headline a local Asian Americans For Obama And South Asians For Obama event and join Young Democrats canvassing in Richmond.

Penn had a recurring role in the TV show, 24 last year. He is probably best known for his role in the movie, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle .

A full schedule of his events is below:

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) appeared on CBS' Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer Sunday to answer questions about Sen. John McCain's recent ads, the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Denver and whether Sen. Barack Obama should be doing better in the polls.

"I would rather not spin Barack's lead in the polls as anything negative. He's ahead in the polls,'' Kaine said. "Take Virginia as an example. Virginia is a state that has not gone Democratic in a presidential election since 1964. (Recent polls) have Barack Obama narrowly ahead in Virginia, which is basically outstanding."

"I think the Obama campaign has had a healthy underdog attitude since I signed on..." Kaine said. "They always thought this would be tough. They always thought they would be close but we are feeling very very good about where the senator is in the polls."

Kaine, an Obama friend and one of his campaign's national co-chairmen, did not speak about being on the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's short list of possible running mates. But later on the show, Karl Rove, former Bush aide, criticized Kaine as a possible vice presidential choice.

John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, began airing a new ad on TV Friday in key states, including Virginia.

The ad, entitled "Painful," highlights presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's record of voting to raise taxes on middle class families and his tax increase proposals.

"The last thing we need to do is raise taxes that force families to make even tougher choices with less money in their pockets,'' according to a press release.

The Democratic National Committee launched a new website The Next Cheney to target Sen. John McCain's potential running mates, including U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia.

The website criticizes Cantor for voting with President Bush 92.5 percent during the 110 Congress and having ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Cantor, 45, chief deputy minority whip in the House, has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential choice in recent days. He is one of seven vice presidential candidates listed on the website, including Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, U.S. Sen. John Thune and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Cantor's office declined to comment.

About 1,200 people attended a fundraiser for Democratic Sen. Barack Obama last night in downtown Norfolk at the elegant Harrison Opera House adorned with glittering chandeliers and sweeping staircases.

The headliner, Michelle Obama, described the November presidential election between her husband and Republican Sen. John McCain as a decision between "the world as it is and the world as it should be."

"Our job as Americans is to narrow the gap between those two ideas," she said. "Do we settle for the world as it is or fight for the world as it should be?"

The fundraiser was hosted by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton, who are on a family vacation with their children this week in nearby Virginia Beach. Kaine's apperance fueled further speculation about his vice presidential chances.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) took a break from his family vacation at Camp Pendleton in Virginia Beach to appear on CNN today for Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Kaine talked about the Iraq War, offshore oil drilling and the possibility of being Obama's running mate.

Kaine, an Obama friend and one of his campaign's national co-chairmen, said he is not running for anything but that he would do everything he could to help Obama win the White House in November.

"My highest and best use is trying to be a good governor and trying to help Sen. Obama in Virginia, which as you know traditionally hasn't gotten a lot of attention in presidential years," he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on the "Situation Room."

Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, began airing a new ad on TV today in key states, including Virginia.

The ad, entitled "Family," accuses Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, of supporting higher taxes and increased government spending that will hurt small businesses and cost jobs.

"While Barack Obama is the biggest celebrity in the world, that doesn't do much to help American families who are hurting from higher gas prices and the threat of home foreclosure,'' according to a press release.

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's campaign released details about Michelle Obama's visit to Norfolk tomorrow to speak to military spouses.

She will use her first visit to Virginia to talk about the challenges facing military families and how her husband, the presumptive Democratic nominee, plans to support them if he becomes president.

The campaign has ensured Obama will have a friendly crowd. The event is by invitation only.

This week, Sen. Barack Obama's campaign will hold a series of town hall meetings in Virginia to describe the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's plans for restoring the economy and creating jobs.

Obama's economic advisors, members of Congress and local elected leaders will serve as panelists. They include: Daniel Sepulveda, who handles economic policy issues for Obama's U.S. Senate office, U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Virginia) and Martinsville Vice Mayor Kimble Reynolds.

The events will begin tomorrow. Details are below:

U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, a rising star in the Republican leadership in Congress, told reporters today that he would not talk about possibly being considered by Sen. John McCain as a running mate.

"This is a press conference about the energy plan and the difference between the vision Barack Obama has and John McCain,'' Cantor told reporters on a conference call.

In recent days, several media sources have reported that McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, had asked Cantor for personal documents used to vet him to be considered vice president.

Cantor, 45, chief deputy minority whip in the House, has been mentioned as a possible vice presidential choice for weeks and has increasingly been a surrogate for McCain on television news shows.

The Virginia Campaign for Change, an offshoot of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign funded by the Democratic National Committee, will register voters at gas stations across the state today.

State Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) and Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris will participate in the events, which will take place in Arlington, Charlottesville and Richmond.

"Motorists who are fed up with sky-high oil company profits made on the backs of consumers paying higher prices at the pump will have the opportunity to register to vote -- and help Barack Obama put in place a new energy policy that will give relief to middle class families and break our addiction to foreign oil,'' according to a press release.

Obama has talked about providing families with a $1,000 middle-class tax cut and spending $150 billion in renewable and other clean sources of energy.

Details of the events are below:

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's wife, First Lady Anne Holton, will headline the Virginia Women for Obama, Families for Change statewide kickoff tomorrow.

She and families from across the Richmond area will gather at Byrd Park to highlight Sen. Barack Obama's policies that "strengthen American families and support working women."

Virginia Women for Obama will hold a total of 11 events across the state including picnics and house parties. Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple of Arlington will headline the Alexandria event and Jody M. Wagner, the state secretary of finance who is expected to run for lieutenant governor, will appear in Hampton Roads.

Some of the events are listed below:

Sen. Barack Obama's wife, Michelle, will make a campaign stop in Norfolk on Wednesday but few details about the event have been released yet.

Later that evening, Obama will appear at a fundraiser hosted by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and First Lady Anne Holton at the Harrison Opera House featuring a musical performance by Bruce Hornsby. Tickets are $100 per person, $50 for students.

It will be Obama's first campaign visit to the state, though her husband, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has been here several times.

The Virginia Campaign for Change, an offshoot of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign funded by the Democratic National Committee, announced today it will open four more offices, bringing the total number in the state to 28.

The offices will have their grand openings Saturday in Arlington, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Staunton.

The locations can be be found below.

The ACLU of Virginia sent letters today to housing authorities across the state, warning them not to prevent political campaigners from going door to door to distribute literature, talk with residents or register people to vote.

The letters, sent to administrators at all 28 housing authorities in the state, were prompted by the actions of the Bristol Redevelopment and Housing Authority, which blocked political campaigners from going door to door at its housing projects.

ACLU of Virginia Executive Director Kent Willis said the First Amendment protects both the right of campaigners to go door to door in public housing projects and the right of tenants to receive information about registering to vote and political campaigns.

"Just because people live in public housing does not mean they can be cut off from political debate," Willis said. "Public housing tenants have exactly the same rights as everyone else to be involved in our democracy, and housing authority officials violate the First Amendment when they block political campaigning and registration efforts at their doorsteps."

The letter, which cites a U. S. Supreme Court case affirming the First Amendment right to canvass, says the ACLU will consider a lawsuit on behalf of canvassers or tenants if need be.

Alexandria resident Joe McCain -- who according to Leesburg Town Councilman Ken Reid is "the spitting image of his brother," John McCain -- is scheduled to address Loudoun Republicans tonight.

Hmm, spitting image? You decide. Photos and a bit more information about the younger McCain here and here.

Joe McCain also was quoted in this story about Cindy McCain by The Washington Post's Libby Copeland.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) slammed Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick, the chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, this morning for saying on Monday that groups trying to register new voters are engaged in "a coordinated and widespread effort to commit voter fraud."

In an interview on WTOP radio, Kaine called Frederick's (Prince William) assertion "ridiculous."

"I think that is slandering the reputation of hardworking Virginians who care about elections and who want people to care about this process," Kaine said. "You know, I don't like to see folks doing things in the heat of a tough election to suggest they are trying to winnow down turnout and that is what I view (Frederick's) effort as."

Gerry Scimeca, a spokesman for the Virginia Republican Party, responded in an interview by rhetorically asking Kaine if he is "against people breaking the law," referring to the arrests last week of three canvassers in Hampton Roads charged with submitting false names on voter registration forms.

Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) presidential campaign is recruiting out-of-state volunteers to come to Virginia, despite its claims that it already has more than 10,000 volunteers in the state.

According to Obama's website, the campaign established a "Virginia Sister City Program" on Thursday to urge out-of-state supporters to travel to the state over the next 100 days.

"The Sister City program will match volunteers in neighboring states with a nearby Campaign for Change office in Virginia that needs a little extra volunteer help," the statement said. "Sister City volunteers become part of a team, made up of other out-of-state volunteers, who adopt a town in Virginia for the last 100 days before the election."

Depending on how you look at it, the effort is either yet another sign that Virginia this year really will be the Ohio of 2004, or it's an indication the campaign is a bit worried it won't be able to staff all those offices it has opened, and recruit volunteers, in the conservative areas of the state.

Wonder which scenario the Republicans will latch onto?

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, announced today the members of his Virginia "grassrooots leadership team," who will oversee voter identification and get-out-the-vote operations in each of the state's 134 jurisdictions.

Under McCain's organizational structure, each of Virginia's 95 counties and 39 cities will have a designated chairperson who coordinates local campaign activities, including recruiting volunteers.

"We are organized and enthusiastic about getting John McCain's positive message to Virginians," said Bobby Lee May, the chairman for McCain's efforts in Buchanan County, which is located in Southwest Virginia. " John McCain will help protect coal miners' jobs and our Second Amendment rights. We believe that John McCain has been tested and is the best person to lead our country in these times as we continue to need strong, proven leadership."

Later today, U.S. Reps. Thelma D. Drake, Eric Cantor and Rob Wittman, all Republicans, will hold a press conference in Washington to discuss McCain's plans for lowering the price of gas in Virginia.

McCain's full Virginia leadership team can be found below.

The Virginia Democratic Party's decision to add Jim Wilson, a longtime Republican operative, to the payroll of its coordinated campaign may be a sign that Democratic efforts this year may not be so coordinated after all.

The coordinated Democratic campaign has been established to boost U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner, congressional candidates and Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), the party's presumptive nominee for president.

Although he is a Republican, Wilson supports Warner and travels the state putting up campaign signs for him.

But at Saturday's U.S. Senate debate between Warner and Republican Jim Gilmore, Wilson was seen with a sign in his truck that included Warner's name and that of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the presumptive GOP nominee for president.

The Virginia Democratic Party continues to have a crushing advantage over the Virginia Republican Party when it comes to money that can be spent on the presidential, U.S. Senate and congressional races this year.

In campaign finance reports filed this week with the Federal Election Commission, the state Democratic Party had about $729,000 in its federal account, about $120,000 less than it had a month ago.

The Republican Party of Virginia reported it has $101,000 in its federal account. But over the past month, the party has generated $91,000 in unpaid debt, according to its July FEC report.

The difference in how presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain are approaching this fall's election in Virginia can be seen in the campaigns' press strategies.

While McCain and the Republicans are taking a regional approach when it comes to selling their message, Obama and the Democrats have embraced a local strategy.

Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, already had a Virginia communications director, Kevin Griffis. On Monday, the campaign also hired press secretary Ashley Etienne. The Campaign for Change, an off-shoot of the Obama campaign, hired press secretary Clark Stevens two weeks ago. All three are based in Obama's Richmond headquarters.

While that may sound like a lot of overlap, Democratic officials say its a testament to their committment to get Obama's message out in the local, as well as the national, media.

Sen. John McCain's campaign announced today the Virginia Veterans for McCain, a statewide group that will work to bolster the presumptive Republican presidential nominee's support within the veterans' community in the state.

The organization boasts members from various generations, including veterans from World War II to the raq war, in all of the state's 11 congressional districts.

"John McCain has the experience, judgment and character to lead this country as commander-in-chief,'' group chairman Paul Galanti said. "John and I were both POWs, and I know he has an unshakeable character and unwavering dedication to country; always putting country above himself."

With Virginia shaping up as a battleground in the presidential contest between Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.),a few counties and cities will be key in deciding whether the state goes blue this year for the first time since 1964.

Just as the national map can be sliced into blue, red and purple states, so, too, can Virginia's 134 counties and cities.

In Northern Virginia, political analysts say, Obama will probably win in Alexandria and Arlington and Fairfax counties, given recent voting patterns. Democrats also usually rack up big wins in Richmond, Norfolk and Charlottesville. McCain will probably have a strong advantage in rural counties in western and southern Virginia.

What follows is a list of 10 Virginia locations that could be up for grabs.

Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) presidential campaign announced today it is opening 20 regional headquarters across Virginia, a potentially unprecedented move by a statewide candidate.

The offices, which are in addition to the 10 regional offices already being operated by the Virginia Democratic Party, will be scattered across the state, including two in Fairfax County and two in Southwest Virginia.

"A lot of these places may have never had a presidential campaign before," state Sen. John S. Edwards (D-Roanoke) said at an event announcing the new headquarters. "It shows (Obama) is investing in the Commonwealth and it is a bottom up, not a top down campaign. This is an intensive grassroots campaign."

Today is the deadline for both state and federal campaign finance reports. As the tallies for elected officials, parties and campaign committees are released, we will post them here.

Former governor James S. Gilmore III, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, raised $250,000 between May 21 and June 31. Gilmore has about $117,000 in the bank. Since he launched his campaign last fall, Gilmore has raised about $1.2 million.

Former governor Mark R. Warner, a Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate, reports raising $2.9 million from April 1 to June 30. Warner has about $5.1 million in the bank. Warner has raised $9.3 million since he got into the race in September.

Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, the likely Republican nominee for governor in 2009, will report he raised $878,000 so far this year. McDonnell has about $1.2 million in the bank.

Del. Brian J. Moran (D-Alexandria), who seeking the Democratic nomination for governor next year, says he raised about $1.4 million during the first six months of the year, although some of the money had been transferred from an old political account. Moran has $924,000 in the bank.

Sen. R. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath), a Democratic candidate for governor next year, reports he raised $783,000 so far this year. Deeds has $650,000 on hand.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) released a new television ad today that will air in Virginia. The 30-second spot is the third ad that Obama has aired in the state since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

The ad, which focuses on the national security and the threat posed by a terrorist getting a hold of a nuclear weapon, will also air in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The number of newly registered voters in Virginia since the start of the year has grown to 148,389, according to the State Board of Elections.

Of those newly registered voters, about 45 percent are under the age of 25.

But the numbers of new registrants appears to be slowing down, at least when it comes to processing the applications.

Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder (D) announced today that Barack Obama's presidential campaign is launching an effort to register 151,000 new voters in Virginia before the Oct. 6 registration deadline.

To meet the goal, Obama supporters would have to register about 1,755 new voters each day between now and Oct. 6. "If we do that, we'll not only win an election, we'll change a country," Wilder said.

The effort, called Can You Best Barack, is designed to get Virginians to register more voters then the 150,000 residents Obama helped to register as a community organizer in Chicago in the early 1990s.

Anyone who registers at least 100 voters will qualify for an opportunity to meet Obama. The Obama campaign, which already has dozens of paid staffers working in various counties across the state, is also releasing a new one-minute radio ad today in Virginia.

Because he was one of Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill) earliest and biggest supporters, some Virginia Democrats have speculated that Gov Timothy M. Kaine (D) could land a speaking role at next month's national convention in Denver.

But Kaine said today he hasn't been asked yet to play a public role at the convention.

"I know I am going but I don't have any formal role that I know of," Kaine said.

Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader will appear in Richmond Saturday for a low-dollar fundraiser and rally at the Virginia Holocaust Museum.

Nader plans to speak about progressive issues, including ending the war in Iraq, funding a public works jobs program and cracking down on what he calls "corporate welfare."

With the contest between Republican presidential candidate John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama shaping up as a potential nailbiter in Virginia this year, Nader could become a factor - if he can get on Virginia's ballot.

The Republican National Committee will air a radio ad in the Washington region tomorrow to welcome Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to Northern Virginia.

Obama is scheduled to hold a town hall meeting Thursday afternoon in Fairfax County. In the ad, a teacher accuses Obama of voting to raise taxes on people who earn more than $32,000 a year.

"I hear a lot of promises from politicians," the woman states. "Barack Obama promises to cut taxes, but he voted to raise taxes on folks earning as little as $32,000. I'm a teacher, and I feel the strain of rising gas prices and food prices every day. I don't understand why Obama insists on raising my taxes."

According to the Washingtonpost.com's Chris Cillizza, the AFL-CIO will launch a television ad tomorrow in six-states, including Virginia, that takes aim at Sen. John McCain's (R) record on military and veteran's issues.

The ad, described as a "significant targeted buy," will also air in Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The Democratic National Committee is adding another layer of paid staff to the party's efforts to help Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) win Virginia's 13 electoral votes this fall.

The national party announced today it is funding a group called the Virginia Campaign for Change, which is designed to reach out to voters in support of Obama and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner.

Katie Ingebretson, who was a regional field director for Obama in Iowa prior to his victory in that state's caucuses, will head up the effort. Yohannes Abraham, who led Obama's get-out-the-vote campaign in Virginia's Feb. 12 primary, will be the field director. Luke Hayes is the deputy field director of the Virginia Campaign for Change.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, released his first television ad today that will air in local Virginia markets.

In the one-minute ad, entitled Love, a narrator contrasts McCain's experience as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War with that of other Americans back home in 1967.

"It was a time of uncertainty, hope and change. The 'Summer Of Love,' the ad states. "Half a world away, another kind of love -- of country. John McCain: Shot down. Bayoneted. Tortured. Offered early release, he said 'no'. He's sworn an oath."

Arizona Sen. John McCain's (R) presidential campaign appeared to pull off a successful made-for-local television event today in Richmond, the first of what will likely be many staged media events to get the GOP message out over the local, as well as national, news.

In a sweltering warehouse in an industrial neighborhood in Richmond, the campaign gathered an ethnically diverse group of two dozen small business owners to applaud McCain's economic message while being critical of his Democratic opponent, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), for wanting to raise taxes.

Even though the event had little news value, it was attended by reporters or cameramen from at least two Richmond-area television stations, a Charlottesville station, two radio stations, the Richmond Times Dispatch and the Washington Post.

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, will visit Virginia at the end of next week.

The exact time and location have not yet been announced.

Obama will spend next week campaigning in states won by President George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, including Virginia, where he will discuss plans to strengthen the economy.

U.S. Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, is expected to start airing ads in Virginia on Tuesday.

His campaign bought air time for 60-second TV ads in Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville and southwest Virginia.

Shortly after Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) called a special session to try to tackle transportation funding issues, the governor gave a blunt assessment of what he hoped to accomplish by advocating a tax increase even though he didn't have the support of the Republican-controlled House of Delegates.

"It will be very productive to either try to find a solution or make it plain to people who are standing in the way," Kaine said in an interview with The Washington Post in May. "We are going to make something happen or let the public see who is obstructing, and frankly, that is one of the reasons why Democrats have won elections in Virginia."

But 10 days into the special session on transportation -- legislators have been on vacation for six of those days -- it remains uncertain whether any solution will be found or whether the governor will score any of those political points.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) now has another $100,000 donor to his political action committee, Moving Virginia Forward.

John O. Wynne, retired president and chief executive officer of Landmark Communications, which owns The Weather Channel and several newspapers, including the Virginian Pilot and Roanoke Times, gave Moving Virginia Forward $25,000 on June 20. Since Kaine took office in 2006, Wynne has contributed $125,000 to Moving Virginia Forward.

There are now six individuals or organizations that have contributed at least $100,000 to Kaine's political committee, which he uses to try to bolster the Virginia Democratic Party, including the governor's successful efforts last year in winning control of the state Senate, according to the Virginia Board of Elections and the Virginia Public Access Project.

Former governor Mark R. Warner and his wife, Lisa Collis, kicked in a lot of cash to get the Virginia Democratic Party's campaign efforts off the ground.

Some of Warner's biggest supporters aided in the effort, donating to a new Virginia Democratic fundraising committee after they gave all they legally can to Warner's Senate campaign.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) announced today he is relocating additional staffers to Virginia.

Stacey Brayboy, who managed Obama's Virginia effort in the days leading up to his 30-point victory in the Feb. 12 primary, will become the deputy director of his state general election campaign. Kevin Griffis will be the communications director.

Both Brayboy and Griffis are familiar with Virginia politics. In 2005, Brayboy worked on Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's gubernatorial campaign. She later became deputy director of the Virginia Human Rights Council.

Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick (Prince William), the chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, announced today that Allison Coccia will be the new executive director of the party.

Coccia is the former executive director of the New York Republican State Committee and has also been the political director of Republican Party of Pennsylvania. In both jobs, her task was complicated by an electorate that had soured on the GOP brand.

"After a thorough search that entailed interviewing several outstanding candidates, I concluded that Allison offers us a proven record at improving fundraising, communications, and building the grassroots," Frederick said.

Former U.S. Senator and Law & Order alum Fred Thompson headlined a fundraiser for Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell last night in Virginia Beach.

The fundraiser for the likely Republican gubernatorial nominee in 2009 and former co-chairman of Thompson's presidential campaign in Virginia raised more than $300,000. About 325 supporters attended.

"As a father, veteran, prosecutor and attorney general, Bob McDonnell has the experience, the values and the vision that Virginia needs,'' Thompson said. "I've been around politics a long time, and I believe that Bob McDonnell is the kind of leader we need. As a Virginia resident, I look forward to supporting Bob for Governor by voting for him next November."

As part of the General Assembly's ongoing special session, Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee will try Wednesday to push through proposals to increase Virginia's 17.5 cent a gallon gas tax to raise money for transportation.

Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) wants a 6 cent a gallon increase, which will be phased in over six years. Sen. Charles J. Colgan (D-Prince William), chairman of the Finance Committee, wants the tax raised 1.6 cents per year for 10 years. Saslaw notes Virginia's gas tax is far below the national average of 28.5 cents a gallon. Republicans, along with Democrats in the House, argue its irresponsible to raise the gas tax because consumers are already being hit with record fuel prices.

Former Democratic governor Mark R. Warner, a candidate for U.S. Senate, appears to be siding with the GOP and House Democrats in this debate.

The Republican Party of Virginia is apparently struggling to raise money as it gears up for the presidential race and this year's U.S. Senate race between Democrat Mark R. Warner and Republican James S. Gilmore III.

In an email to supporters today, the state party said it has been running a deficit in recent months.

"Just a few weeks ago, we began our efforts to provide bold, new leadership to the Republican Party of Virginia," the email states. "Yet, it hasn't been easy. RPV ran deficits in April, May and now in June, and recent fundraisers have actually lost money."

Washingtonpost.com's Chris Cillizza ranks the seat of retiring Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) as the second most likely congressional district in the country to flip from one party to the other in this year's elections.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly, who secured the Democratic nomination 10 days ago, is running against Republican businessman Keith Fimian in Virginia's 11th District.

No other Virginia district makes Cillizza's top 20 list this week, but some Democrats believe Rep. Thelma Drake, a Republican who represents Virginia Beach, is vulnerable. Virginia Democrats are also hopeful they can give GOP Reps. Frank R. Wolf in Northern Virginia and Virgil Goode in Southside tough races, even though they represent Republican-leaning districts.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, will begin airing a general election television ad in Virginia on Friday, his campaign announced today.

It will be Obama's first television ad in Virginia since before the Feb. 12 primary.

The 60-second ad, entitled "Country I Love," will also air in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

To read a transcript of the video, continue reading on the next page.

The Virginia Organizing Project, a group dedicated to combating racial and economic injustice, is engaged in a big effort this year to spread its political message and register new voters.

The Charlottesville-based group has 10 paid field organizers and 50 interns fanned out across the state knocking on doors each day. On an average night, they can hit as many as 4,000 households, according to Joe Szakos, the executive director.

By the end of July, Szakos said the staffers and interns and other volunteers will have distributed about 300,000 voting guides, which contain information about state and federal issues and details on how and where to go to register to vote.

Virginia Democrats love to snicker about the internal divisions that have plagued the state Republican Party in recent years. Now, they've got their own turmoil.

Some Democrats are fuming over how the state party conducted elections at its convention in Hampton on Saturday.

As the 2008 Virginia Democratic Party convention draws to a close, here are eight observations about the weekend's events at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton.

1) If the Democrats' goal was to leave the convention united behind Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), they still have a lot of work to do. Surprisingly, numerous supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY.) said they weren't sure if they would vote for Obama in the fall.

Internationally known novelist John Grisham and his wife, Renee, both active Democrats, drove from their home outside Charlottesville to the convention in Hampton.

Mrs. Grisham was selected this afternoon to serve as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention, where she plans to support Hillary Clinton even though Barack Obama won enough delegates to secure the nomination. Grisham will accompany his wife to Denver.

Mrs. Grisham has known Clinton since attending a dinner at the White House a decade ago and campaigned for the New York senator in several states, including Texas and Mississippi, where she and her husband used to live.

3 p.m.: Former governor Mark R. Warner told the crowd at the Democratic convention that he would not run for vice president alongside Barack Obama if the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee asked.

"I have not sought and I will not accept any other opportunity," Warner told an enthusiastic group wearing blue Warner for Senate stickers.

In recent weeks, Warner, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and Sen. James Webb have been mentioned as potential running mates for Obama. But Warner said today he wanted to make it clear that he is focused on beating his Republican senate rival, former governor James S. Gilmore III, in November.

"Today's the day I want to make it clear what I am focused on,'' he said. "The only job I am running for this year is United States Senate."

Democratic activists gathered in Hampton Friday night to kick off the party's state convention, which will take place this weekend at the Hampton Roads Convention Center.

Sen. James Webb and U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott were special guests at a pool party at the Holiday Inn and Conference Center while four prominent Democrats hosted a packed party at the Embassy Suites.

"This is energizing the base,'' said C. Richard Cranwell, chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party.

Democratic Senate candidate Mark R. Warner and the presumptive GOP nominee for president, Sen. John McCain, have at least one thing in common.

Both start as the early favorite to win in Virginia this year -- Warner more so than McCain -- but they also have to determine how to interact with the other man from their party whose names also appear on the ballot statewide.

It's a potentially delicate dance that could determine whether one party or the other has a chance at sweeping both contests in Virginia.

Republicans in the General Assembly are stepping up their criticism of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) for his role in Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill.) presidential campaign.

In a statement released today, Del. William R. Janis (R-Goochland) asks, "Is governor Kaine sacrificing Virginia on the alter of vice-presidential ambition?"

After looking into Kaine's schedule, Janis concludes that Kaine has spent "over 19 days (this year) jetting around the country with Barack Obama, but only fifteen hours over 10 days promoting his transportation plan," an apparent reference to Kaine's ongoing series of town hall meetings.

Democrat Gerald E. Connolly of Fairfax County, the top elected official of the region's largest jurisdiction, won a decisive primary victory yesterday in Northern Virginia's 11th Congressional District against former representative Leslie L. Byrne.

But with less than 6 percent of registered voters participating in the election, the results don't say a whole lot about what could happen come November.

Connolly beat Byrne with nearly 58 percent of the vote to her 33 percent. In raw numbers, however, he won by just over 6,000 votes -- little more than 1 percent of the 11th Congressional District's 446,000 active registered voters.

Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick (Prince William), the newly elected chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, continues to shake up the leadership of the state party.

Since defeating former lieutenant governor John H. Hager for the chairman's job last weekend, many of the state party's senior staffers have resigned or been dismissed.

Frederick plans to announce today that Walter M. Curt, owner of Power Motors Inc, a Harrisonburg-based technology firm, will be the party's new finance chairman. Curt replaces Fred Malek, who resigned from his finance role at the state party last week. Malek still serves as the deputy national finance chairman for Arizona Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign.

Paid staffers for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, have begun filtering into Virginia, according to Democratic officials.

Scott A. Surovell, chairman of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee, said he has met two paid Obama field organizers working on voter registration drives and other activities in Northern Virginia. The Obama campaign is also believed to be engaged in an aggressive voter-registration drive in Richmond. The campaign set a goal last month of registering 4,000 new voters in Richmond by June 13.

Some Democrats say the Obama campaign began quietly locating staffers in Virginia shortly after the North Carolina and Indiana primaries on May 6, a month before Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination.

Sen. John W. Warner (R), who is retiring, announced today he has contributed $2,000 to former Republican governor James S. Gilmore III's campaign to succeed him in the Senate.

Warner's announcement comes on the heels of a report in The Hill newspaper that speculated the state's senior senator may not support Gilmore, who secured the GOP nomination last weekend. Warner apparently made the donation to Gilmore sometime this week.

In a statement, Warner said he has also donated $2,000 each this month to GOP Reps. Frank R. Wolf, Thelma Drake, Eric I. Cantor, Randy Forbes and Robert Goodlatte, all of whom are seeking reelection.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) offered up only a few clues today about which Virginia Democrat, if any, has a shot at being considered as a vice-presidential candidate this fall.

But it's clear there is a spot in Obama's heart for Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), who endorsed Obama more than a year ago.

Obama appeared at different times today with Kaine, Sen. James Webb and U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner, all of whom are mentioned as possible Democratic vice-presidential contenders.

Former governor and U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner just gave Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) a rousing endorsement during a town-hall meeting in Bristol in Southwest Virginia.

After being introduced by U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va), Warner and Obama emerged on stage together, stopping frequently to shake hands with supporters lining the walkway. Warner then noted the similarities between his campaign strategy and the one Obama has apparently embraced in his effort to win Virginia this fall.

"You know seven years ago, I started my campaign (for governor) right here in Southwest Virginia and a month ago, I was a job applicant again, and I came back to Southwest Virginia to start that campaign for Senate," Warner said. "Today is the first official campaign kickoff of the Senator Obama presidential campaign, so I don't know about you, but I think it says a lot about somebody about where they choose to start their campaign. America is a pretty big place. There are 50 states....But our candidate, Barack Obama, chose right here in Bristol in Southwest Virginia."

Preston Bryant, a former Republican delegate, and Democratic Del. Shannon R. Valentine, are hosting a fundraiser for former governor and U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner (D) tonight in Lynchburg.

An email invitation from Valentine and Bryant, who now works in Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's administration, encourages supporters to attend "a fun, bipartisan evening."

"The crowd promises to have lots of R's and D's and I's,'' according to the invitation. "There will be good food and drink. And the setting will be spectacular."

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, will be in Tysons Corner Monday for a high-dollar fundraiser for his campaign and the Republican Party.

The event, which will be held at the Ritz-Carlton, is being hosted by a cross-section of Virginia Republicans and business leaders, including Sen. John W. Warner, former senator George Allen, U.S. Rep. Tom Davis, Del. Christopher B. Saxman (Staunton), Ted Georgelas and Til Hazel, both developers, and P. Wesley Foster Jr., chairman of Long & Foster Companies.

People who raise or contribute $25,000 will be able to get their picture taken with McCain. Tickets for the reception range from $1,000 to $5,000, according to an invitation on McCain's website.

Virginia Republicans are offering up a preview of their strategy for preventing Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, from winning the state's 13 electoral votes in the Nov. 4 general election.

In a conference call organized by the Republican National Committee, former attorney general Jerry W. Kilgore and Del. Christopher B. Saxman (Staunton) predicted today that Obama would lose Virginia because of his positions on guns and taxes. The call was a preemptive strike as Obama prepares to campaign tomorrow in Southwest Virginia and Prince William County.

"Senator Obama has got an F rating from the (National Rifle Association) and he has been very critical of the people of rural America for their views on guns," said Kilgore, who was raised in Southwest Virginia. "We all remember the famous quote from Obama that people in rural America cling to their faith and their guns. I think a lot of people will remember that, especially in Southwest Virginia."

Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, the nation's first black governor released a statement this afternoon about the first black man to win the Democratic nomination for president.

"As I watched last night the certification of the nomination of Barack Obama, I was filled with many emotions,'' Wilder said. "I was proud and appreciative of how far we had come in this country. I think that he has run a magnificent campaign and has exhibited grace under fire, humility when necessary, and the courage to face the obstacles of campaigning for the most prestigious political position in the world."

Democratic Senate Candidate Mark R. Warner has reshuffled his schedule so that he can appear with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) tomorrow at a town-hall meeting in Bristol in Southwest Virginia.

Warner, who has stayed neutral in the presidential race, will not attend the Obama rally at Nissan Pavilion in Prince William due to a prior engagement tomorrow evening. But Warner's appearance with Obama in Bristol will be a symbolic pairing of the two men who will lead the Democratic ticket in the Virginia this year.

Here are the answers to the election questions asked in last week's Virginia Notebook.

On Friday and Saturday, Republicans gathered at a Richmond convention center to select their nominee to fill the seat of retiring Sen. John W. Warner (R). They also elected a party chairman and delegates to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Jim Leaman, executive director of the Virginia AFL-CIO, was one of 26.5 superdelegates who endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in a joint statement tonight after the polls closed in South Dakota and Montana.

"I believe that Senator Obama is the right person, in the right place and at the right time to change politics in Washington from strict partisan warfare to one of jointly solving America's problems," Leaman said.

Sen. James Webb (D-Va), Virginia Democratic Party Chairman C. Richard Cranwell and former Labor Secretary Alexis Herman are now the only undeclared superdelegates from Virginia.

Meanwhile, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), who endorsed Obama more than a year ago, issued a statement urging all Democrats to "unite solidly" behind Obama to "move this country forward."

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the likely Democratic nominee for president, will hold a rally Thursday evening at Nissan Pavilion in Prince William County.

The event is free and open to the public, but admission will be on a first-come, first serve basis. The pavilion, located in Bristow, can seat up to 25,000 for a concert, but it's unclear how it will be configured for a political rally.

Doors open at 3 p.m and the program begins at 6 p.m. Obama will also hold a town hall meeting in Bristol in Southwest Virignia Thursday afternoon. Tickets are required for that event.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the likely Democratic nominee for president, will campaign in Virginia on Thursday, according to Democratic officials.

While the schedule is still being finalized, Obama will likely visit at least two areas of the state, including Northern Virginia. It will be Obama's first campaign swing through Virginia since before the Feb. 12 primary.

Though Virginia hasn't supported a Democratic presidential nominee since 1964, the Obama campaign vows to campaign hard in the state this year in hopes of winning it's 13 electoral votes.

No word yet on whether Democratic Senate candidate Mark R. Warner or Sen. James Webb (D-Va.), both of whom are neutral in the presidential race, will decide to endorse Obama when he comes to the state.

Jerome Wiley Segovia, a superdelegate from Virginia, announced today he is supporting Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's bid for the Democratic nomination for president.

"While sharing the valuable international experience of spending a portion of my formative years overseas in a similar fashion as Senator Obama, I am excited to add my support to a campaign that has clearly demonstrated a commitment to an inclusive national field campaign, has shattered all previous campaign fundraising records, and is supportive of alternative sources of energy to begin to solve our energy crisis," said Segovia, a member of the Democratic National Committee.

Of the 16 superdelegates from Virginia, seven are now backing Obama. Five are supporting Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY). Four, including state party chairman C. Richard Cranwell and Sen. James Webb (D), remain uncommitted.

Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick's election today as the new chairman of Virginia Republican Party will likely lead to some big changes at GOP headquarters, including possibly a new executive director, according to party officials.

Under former lieutenant governor John H. Hager, who Frederick unseated today in the chairman's race, Charles E. Judd served as executive director.

"You will probably be hearing some news about that next week," said Frederick, who lives in Prince William County. "I ran to make changes, so we will be making some changes." He declined further comment.

It's unclear how national Republicans in Washington will react to Frederick's efforts to shake up the party in the middle of a presidential race.

Almost 500 Republicans from across the state gathered in downtown Richmond tonight to hear Vice President Dick Cheney speak at the party's annual fundraiser. Cheney, who plans to build a house in McLean after he leaves office in January, encouraged those in the audience to vote for Republicans in November, including Sen. John McCain for president in November.

"You and I belong to the party of limited taxes, limited government and free enterprise,'' he said to applause. "We understand that government exists not to be the people's master but rather their servant."

Virginia Democratic Party Chairman C. Richard Cranwell, one of the state's last remaining undeclared superdelegates, said today he won't be throwing his support behind a presidential candidate until after the state party convention in mid June.

Cranwell, who initially backed former senator John Edwards, said he has to chair the convention so he doesn't want to be seen as a supporter of either Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY.) or Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.)

Thousands of party activists will converge on the Greater Richmond Convention Center this weekend for the state Republican convention.

Republicans will select their nominee for the race to fill the seat of retiring Sen. John W. Warner (R). They will also elect a party chairman and delegates to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.

The convention will offer insight into the future direction of the party and clues into upcoming state and federal elections. Here are 15 questions the convention might help to answer. You can check back next week to find out the answers

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) has raised more than $370,000 from 15 contributors since mid March, a clear sign he plans to remain active in the political process even though he cannot seek reelection.

Kaine's fundraising for his political action committee, Moving Virginia Forward, includes a $100,000 donation on April 10 from Radford billionaire R.J. Kirk. Since Kaine took office in 2006, Kirk has donated $550,000 to Kaine's political committee, according to the State Board of Elections.

Kaine has received another $35,000 in donations since mid April from Shelia Johnston, co-founder of Black Entertainment Television. Johnston has contributed a total of $185,000 to Kaine since 2006.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) said today he thinks Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY.) should consider abandoning her campaign for the presidency so Sen. Barack Obama, the likely Democratic nominee, can begin focusing on the general election.

"I think we need to move to a position now where the campaign is between Senator Obama and Senator McCain and not have a side campaign between Senator Obama and Senator Clinton," said Kaine, one of Obama's national co-chairmen.

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), an outspoken conservative and fierce advocate for additional controls on illegal immigration, announced today he is supporting Del. Robert G. Marshall's candidacy for U.S. Senate.

Tancredo's endorsement could boost Marshall (R-Prince William) among conservatives as he battles former governor James S. Gilmore III for the GOP nomination. About 10,000 Republican activists will elect the nominee at the state party convention next weekend.

"We can trust Bob Marshall to oppose amnesty for illegal aliens. In the House of Delegates, Bob has a strong record of doing what he could on the state level to stop illegal immigration," Tancredo said in a statement. "Instead of making vague statements about border security, Bob has a clear-cut plan to build a fence along the border, crack down on employers who hire illegals, and end birthright citizenship."

Virginia Sen. James Webb, ending a nationwide publicity tour, is fueling speculation that he will be on Sen. Barack Obama's shortlist for vice presidential candidates.

But don't start making Obama-Webb signs just yet.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, leads both of his potential Democratic rivals in Virginia, according to poll by Virginia Commonwealth University released today.

The survey, conducted by the school's Center for Public Policy, found that McCain would beat Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois by 8 points if the election were held today. McCain would get 44 percent of the vote among voters, compared to Obama's 36 percent.

McCain would expand his lead slightly if Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York is the Democratic nominee. In that match-up, McCain gets 47 percent of the vote among voters while 38 percent would choose Clinton.

Vice-President Dick Cheney will be the keynote speaker at a fundraising gala at the Virginia Republican Party state convention next weekend in Richmond, party officials said today.

Cheney's appearance will almost certainly become fodder for Virginia Democrats, who are trying to link the GOP and its presumptive presidential nominee, Arizona Sen. John McCain, to the Bush administration.

But the event will be a big money maker for the state GOP, which has been working to keep pace with Virginia Democrats in fundraising.

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) may have won Fairfax County by 30,000 votes in the Feb. 12 primary, but Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-NY.) words are still apparently more valuable to that county's Democratic activists.

During an auction last night at the Fairfax County Democratic Committee Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner, an autographed copy of Obama's book, The Audacity of Hope, sold for $250. An autographed copy of Clinton's book, Living History, sold for $400.

Arizona Senator John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee for president, is getting a head start on the Democrats when it comes to opening a state headquarters in Virginia.

The McCain campaign, which is partnering with the Virginia Republican Party, is opening an office in the 1200 block of South Clark Street in Arlington. Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager, and state party chairman John H. Hager plan to hold a grand opening event at the office on Monday.

The office will serve as "the nerve center" for party officials helping McCain as well as GOP candidates running for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, according to a news release from the state party.

Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Republican Party of Virginia Chairman John H. Hager anounced today they are leading an effort to build the party's grassroots organizations across the state.

The effort calls on local Republican committees to double their membership lists by Labor Day. Those that do will receive extra money to support their activities, including get-out-the-vote efforts for the November elections.

"Reaching out to those Virginians who share our principles and getting them involved is essential to strengthening the Republican Party and winning elections," Hager said. "This initiative reflects the unity within the party and will pay dividends not only in 2008, but in years to come as well."

Del. Jennifer L. McClellan, a superdelegate who had endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for president, announced today that she is switching her support to Sen. Barack Obama after his strong showing in this week's primaries.

"The time has come to support Sen. Obama as our likely nominee,'' said McClellan, an African American woman from Richmond. "The time has come for us to come together as a party."

McClellan, who endorsed Clinton in December, agonized in recent weeks about her decision, calling it "the most stressful thing I've been through in my whole life." She said that she gradually changed her mind after watching Obama win recent primaries and realizing he will probably be the Democratic nominee.

The Republican Party of Virginia announced today that it will file a second complaint with the Federal Elections Commission over what it calls the Democratic National Committee's continued coordination with its presidential candidates to launch attacks against presumptive GOP nominee John McCain.

"A disturbing trend has developed among the DNC and its presidential candidates," said John H. Hager, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. "First, the DNC shows complete disregard for federal election laws by coordinating strategy with the presidential campaigns, and then the DNC puts out intentionally misleading negative ads.

Despite the uproar of Sen. Barack Obama's pastor and his poor showing in communities along the Appalachian Mountains, U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) said today he's convinced Obama is still more electable than Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)

Boucher, who represents rural Southwest Virginia, endorsed Obama (D-Ill) in January. Since then, it's become apparent that Obama is struggling to win over working class white voters like the ones who make up Boucher's district.

In the Feb. 12 primary, Obama failed to get 15 percent of the vote in several counties in southwest Virginia, even though he beat Clinton statewide by almost 30 points. Obama's trouble connecting with voters in the Appalachian Mountain region was verified in last week's Pennsylvania primary.

Republican Party of Virginia Chairman John H. Hager filed a complaint today with the Federal Elections Commission accusing the Democratic National Committee of coordinating with its two presidential candidates on an ad campaign -- a violation of the law.

The 30-second ad shows presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain in a debate saying Americans are better off economically but statistics contradict him.

"Not only are the Democrats blatantly distorting comments made by John McCain, but they are clearly breaking the law in order to do so," Hager said. "The DNC should immediately pull this ad.If they refuse to do so, then Senators Clinton and Obama and their supporters, including Governor Kaine, should call on the DNC to stop running the ad."

U.S. Rep. Eric I. Cantor (R-Va) said today that Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, will have to work hard to make sure the Democratic presidential candidate doesn't win Virginia's 13 electoral votes in the fall.

"I'm just worried, given the track record our party has demonstrated over the past three statewide elections, we've got some work to do," said Cantor, referring to Democrats' success in winning the last two governor's races and the 2006 U.S. Senate race.

The Republican National Committee announced today that U.S. Rep. Eric I. Cantor (R-Va.) will head up the GOP effort to reach out to Jewish voters this year.

Cantor, the chief deputy House minority whip, will be tasked with bolstering Arizona Sen. John McCain's appeal among Jewish voters, who have traditionally aligned with Democrats but who have been increasingly receptive to the Republican message on foreign affairs.

"Senator John McCain has been a long-time advocate for a strong relationship between America and Israel," said Cantor. "Our next President will inherit a Middle East region that is at a crossroads. One path leads to security and peace, the other, chaos. I believe John McCain has the experience and character to be an aggressive advocate for a secure Israel and stable Middle East."

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine will travel to Pennsylvania this weekend to campaign for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill).

The Democratic governor will appear at two "get-out-the-vote" events in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton.

Kaine has traveled to other states during the presidential campaign including South Carolina, Georgia and Kansas.This is his first trip to Pennsylvania for Obama.

The all-important Pennsylvania primary is Tuesday.

At the start of the year, Virginia and national Democrats had high hopes that the state's 13 electoral votes could be up for grabs in the Nov. 4 presidential election.

But as the fight between Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) grinds on, it's starting to feel as though the Democratic prospects in Virginia might be slipping away.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the presumptive GOP nominee, should be an early favorite to win the state, and he probably grows a bit stronger every week there is not a Democratic nominee.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said today he's not opposed to efforts by Democratic officials to persuade superdelegates from Virginia to support Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) at the national convention in August.

At a news conference this morning, Kaine (D) said he is also "having conversations with superdelegates all the time."

"Superdelegates are getting communications from a lot of people, so folks communicating with the undecided by saying 'hey come for Senator Obama', it's all part of persuasion," said Kaine, one of Obama's national co-chairmen. "We are in a persuasion game here by trying to get those uncommitted to commit."

On Monday, the leaders of about 40 Democratic county and city committees in Virginia sent a letter to the state's superdelegates pressuring them to endorse Obama. The leaders, who have also launched an online petition, included the chairmen of the Arlington, Prince William and Fairfax county Democratic committees. They noted that Obama won Virginia's Feb. 12 primary with 64 percent of the vote.

Doug Denneny, a Democratic candidate for Congress in the 11th congressional district, has joined nearly 40 other party leaders in urging Virginia's superdelegates to endorse Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

"I voted for Senator Obama because I believe he has the experience and judgment to lead our country," said Denneny, a retired Naval Flight Officer. "With a resounding voice, Virginia Democrats chose Senator Obama to be our party's presidential nominee, party elites should not overrule the will of the people."

A coalition of Democratic leaders from across Virginia are urging the state's superdelegates to endorse Barack Obama for president.

Obama overwhelmingly won the Virginia primary Feb. 12, taking 64 percent of the Democratic vote. But several of the state's superdelegates have endorsed Hillary Clinton and others, including U.S. Sen. Jim Webb and Democratic Party of Virginia Chairman Richard Cranwell, have not endorsed either.

Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) said today that superdelegates to the Democratic National Convention shouldn't feel bound to support the presidential candidate who wins the most pledged delegates elected by the voters.

"If they didn't want the superdelegates to have independent judgment, they wouldn't have created them," Webb said during an interview on ABC's This Week.

Webb is the only Virginia Democrat in Congress who has not endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill), who won the state's Feb. 12 primary with 64 percent of the vote.

The fight for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate is becoming increasingly heated.

Earlier today, former governor James S. Gilmore III sent out a statement demanding that his opponent for the nomination, Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William) apologize for criticizing Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, who endorsed Gilmore yesterday.

As reported by the Virginia Politics blog, Marshall said yesterday that Bolling and McDonnell "have a political death wish for the party" because Gilmore supports abortion rights up until the eighth week of a pregnancy.

"To say that Jim Gilmore or the many prominent Republican leaders who support him have a 'death wish' or are not pro-life is, at best, ill informed and, at worst, out of control political opportunism," Gilmore's campaign manager, Dick Leggitt, said. "Del. Marshall's unfortunate attacks on these distinguished Virginians are repugnant."

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), along with other elected leaders from medium size states, sent out a letter to the national media this morning in an attempt to refute Sen. Hillary Clinton's claims that she would be the strongest Democratic presidential nominee this fall because she has won more big states.

The letter, titled "debunking the Clinton campaign's dubious big state spin," argues that Sen. Barack Obama has won a majority of the largest states that are likely to decide the 2008 presidential contest, including Virginia, where Obama got 64 percent of the vote last month.

"Senator Obama has scored important victories in each of our states - states that will play a decisive role in deciding whether or not John McCain will be given the chance to enter the White House and extend George Bush's failed policies for another 4 years," the letter said, which was signed by Kaine, Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire and U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri.

Sen. James Webb said today he is endorsing Leslie L. Byrne in the race for the Democratic nomination in the 11th congressional district.

"I am convinced that Leslie Byrne is our best candidate," Webb said in a statement. " Leslie shares my values about economic fairness and the need to re-order our national security policies - both in Iraq and throughout the world. In her service as a state legislator and member of Congress, Leslie Byrne has demonstrated time and again that she is tough, fiercely independent and willing to stand up to powerful special interests. I would be proud to serve in Congress with her."

Byrne is running against Fairfax County Board chairman Gerald E. Connolly, retired naval commander Doug Denneny and Lori P. Alexander in the June 10 Democratic primary. Incumbent Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) is retiring.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) today explained his decision to travel to Kansas and Texas tonight and tomorrow to campaign for Sen. Barack Obama.

Kaine found himself needed at home today when the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that parts of the state's transportation plan are unconstitutional. But Kaine decided to stick with his plan to speak at a Kansas Democratic Party event tonight and then campaign for Obama tomorrow in Texas.

"I worked all last weekend and the [Obama] campaign wanted me on the trail all this weekend," Kaine said before flying off to Kansas. "I changed the plan yesterday [Thursday] to just do one day [of campaigning]. I am going to be here all day Sunday working on bills and working on this" court decision.

Republicans around the capitol are mocking Kaine's decision to go campaigning this weekend. "We certainly hope he doesn't call a special session when we are busy helping John McCain," said one Republican legislative aide.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) will continue building his national profile this weekend despite it being the final days of Virginia's legislative session.

Kaine will be the keynote speaker tomorrow night at a Kansas Democratic Party fundraiser in Topeka. Kaine and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) are supporters of Sen. Barack Obama. Kaine grew up in Kansas and his parents live there.

On Saturday, Kaine will spend the day campaigning for Obama in Texas, where voters go to the polls Tuesday.
Kaine has also made trips to Iowa, South Carolina and Georgia for Obama. Kaine has been a surrogate for Obama on several Sunday television talk show programs.

Sen. Barack Obama didn't just beat Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Virginia Democratic primary Feb..12. He defeated her so handily that Virginia politicians running for Congress or statewide office might want to study the results for clues about their political futures.

Obama's 28-point margin of victory was one of the largest percentage-point wins in recent history by a candidate in a supposedly competitive statewide primary or general election.

Is Del. Lionell Spruill Sr. (D-Chesapeake), a superdelegate who could help decide the Democratic nominee for
president, reconsidering his pledge to support Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton?

"I'm going to look at it again after March 4," Spruill said today, referring to the upcoming primaries in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont. "He's doing well."

Spruill, an African-American who sits on the Democratic National Committee, was an early and vocal Clinton supporter. But there could be growing pressure on Spruill and other Virginia superdelegates to rethink their support for the New York senator after Sen. Barack Obama's convincing win in last Tuesday's primary.

Obama (D-Ill) won Spruill's Tidewater district with 70 percent of the vote. When asked what he meant by "he's doing well," Spruill responded, "no comment" before adding, "March 4."

So how bad did Sen. Barack Obama thrash Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in Northern Virginia on Tuesday?

According to the state Board of Elections, Clinton (D-N.Y.) didn't win a single precinct in Alexandria. She won one in Arlington (Arlington Mill) and one in Loudoun (Guilford). She won three in Prince William (Stonewall, Park and Potomac View). She also won seven in Fairfax County (Ravensworth, Holmes, Edsall, Parklawn, Lynbrook, Greenspring and Virginia Hills).

But Obama (D-Ill.) swept every other precinct in the core of Northern Virginia, often by a 2 to 1 margin. There are 27 precincts in Alexandria, 51 in Arlington, 73 in Prince William, 63 in Loudoun and 232 in Fairfax County.

Earlier today, the Virginia Democratic Party estimated Obama will be awarded 54 Virginia pledged delegates. Clinton will get 29.

Because of heavy turnout and icy weather in Northern Virginia, some voters were asking yesterday why the state didn't keep the polls open later, as Maryland did. Here's why:

Susan Pollard, a spokeswoman for the Virginia State Board of Elections, said that a request for longer poll hours would have to come from one of the political parties and approved by a judge. No one requested an extension, she said.

Estimated turnout for Virginia primary from Edison/Mitofsky:
Democrat: 930,000, or 16% of voting age population
Republican: 505,000, or 8% of voting age population

In 2004, 396,223 voted in the Virginia Democratic primary, so turnout increased more than 130 percent. Young voters, age 17-29, made up 14 percent of all voters this time; in 2004, they made up 8 percent.

In the February, 2000 GOP primary, 664,093 voted, so Republican turnout was down this time.

Republican Party of Virginia Chairman John Hager released the following statement in reaction to the results of Virginia's presidential primaries:

I want to congratulate Senator McCain on his victory today in Virginia's presidential primary. Governor Huckabee and Congressman Paul should also be proud of their hard-fought campaigns here in the Commonwealth.

Statement of the Governor on Senator Barack Obama's Virginia Democratic Primary Win:

RICHMOND - I want to congratulate my friend Barack Obama on his win today in Virginia's Democratic primary. Both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton deserve credit for their hard work and their spirited campaigning across Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. We've fielded a tremendous group of Democratic candidates this year, and we should be proud of their incredible work.

Faridon Mohtashemi said he left work at Wachovia Bank in Crystal City an hour early to vote but was stuck in traffic for 2 1/2 hours.

When he arrived at Hayfield Secondary School near his home in the Kingstowne section of Fairfax County it was 7:03 p.m. --three minutes after the official closing time.

He said he saw a woman removing the voting sign in the parking lot and asked if he could cast a ballot, but was told "sorry, we're closed."

"It's very disheartening that they couldn't extend the hours when they knew what was happening with the weather," he said.

Throughout the day, Post reporters have found some GOP voters in Virginia are gravitating toward Sen. John McCain as the party's all-but-certain nominee but others remain reluctant to embrace the Arizona Republican.

Post reporter Nick Miroff found Republican voters in Prince William County who backed Huckabee said they knew their candidate was a long shot, but went for him anyway. "I like his religious beliefs," said Dan Boger, 73, a real estate investor voting at Potomac Middle School in Dumfries, adding that he wasn't worried about the candidate's improbable odds. "The Lord's going to take care of that," he said.
Woodbridge resident Amy Taylor, a 57-year-old social worker who described herself as Christian and pro-life, said Huckabee was "the only true conservative."
"I think the media's largely ignored him," she groused. "Hillary and Obama have gotten all the attention."
The tight Democratic race seems like too much "infighting" to Jaime Estrada, 46, a telecommunications technician and Occoquan resident. So he voted for McCain. "We're in a difficult time, and we need someone strong who knows how to get things done," he said.
Retired police lieutenant Robert Chambers, 66, said he was tempted to vote for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), but thinks he's too "young and unproven." He also settled on McCain. "I trust him," said Chambers, who lives in Occoquan. "He's put his dues in."

As immigration remains a volatile issue, immigrants are making their voices heard.

Nabil Masri, 55, a banker and Woodbridge resident, told reporter Nick Miroff he knows a good deal when he sees one, so he voted for the senator who used to be a first lady. That's Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) "I liked her husband and I like her," he said. "It's two for the price of one."
Masri, of Palestinian descent, said he considers Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) "untested" but believes Clinton has the strength and personality to "stand up and fight," especially to get the country's troops out of Iraq.
"I'm Arab American, so I want to see this war end," he said.
Venezuelan immigrant and Woodbridge resident Cecilia Reynoso said she also voted for Clinton. She wants to see "what a woman can do," she said, and likes the New York senator's smarts and experience. "I want her to do what she promises on the war, health care, and the economy," said Reynoso, 57, a hairdresser. "I think she can make changes, and we need to change. A lot."
At Walter Reed Recreation Center in South Arlington, in a working-class neighborhood, Pedro Castro, 63, a waiter, told reporter Brigid Schulte he voted for Clinton. "I know this is important for history. There's one black and one woman fighting for the nomination, but in this case, the female has my vote. She's more honest. You feel she's working for you. I think she understands Latino people. She understands the immigrant."
Errhif Idriss, 38, a hotel worker born in Morocco, said he voted for Obama because of his policies on the Middle East and on healthcare. "In this country, the American people still have a lot of feelings about racism, and he can bring the American people together, and bind them together." He said he disagreed with Clinton's 2002 vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq. "My sense is that Obama would be open-minded" on foreign policy.