CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- U.S. Sen. John McCain's campaign will open a West Virginia headquarters in Charleston today.

McCain, R-Ariz., and the presumed GOP presidential nominee, beat presumed Democratic nominee Barack Obama in being first to open a state headquarters for the general election. Obama, D-Ill., is expected to open multiple sites across the state in the future.

McCain's statewide campaign chairman, Larry Swann, and Kanawha County chairman Mike Stuart will be at the 3 p.m. opening event at the new headquarters at 111 Hale St. Members of West Virginians for McCain and other supporters are also expected.

"The McCain campaign is starting to get in gear," state GOP Chairman Doug McKinney said.

McKinney, a Bridgeport physician, said the campaign has begun naming county chairpersons across the state.

"Within a week I expect they'll have them all appointed," he said.

Political observers have said McCain is ahead of Obama in West Virginia, but many believe it could be close. None of the national groups that watch campaigns has predicted Obama will win West Virginia.

Nick Casey, state Democratic Party chairman, said he expects Obama to open a statewide headquarters in the future.

"They told us they're going to run a 50-state campaign," the Charleston lawyer said.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- U.S. Sen. John McCain's campaign will open a West Virginia headquarters in Charleston today.

McCain, R-Ariz., and the presumed GOP presidential nominee, beat presumed Democratic nominee Barack Obama in being first to open a state headquarters for the general election. Obama, D-Ill., is expected to open multiple sites across the state in the future.

McCain's statewide campaign chairman, Larry Swann, and Kanawha County chairman Mike Stuart will be at the 3 p.m. opening event at the new headquarters at 111 Hale St. Members of West Virginians for McCain and other supporters are also expected.

"The McCain campaign is starting to get in gear," state GOP Chairman Doug McKinney said.

McKinney, a Bridgeport physician, said the campaign has begun naming county chairpersons across the state.

"Within a week I expect they'll have them all appointed," he said.

Political observers have said McCain is ahead of Obama in West Virginia, but many believe it could be close. None of the national groups that watch campaigns has predicted Obama will win West Virginia.

Nick Casey, state Democratic Party chairman, said he expects Obama to open a statewide headquarters in the future.

"They told us they're going to run a 50-state campaign," the Charleston lawyer said.

In many of his primary battles, Obama opened multiple headquarters.

Casey said the Obama campaign has said it will name a state campaign director soon, too.

But the Democratic chairman admitted the Obama campaign has not told him or other state Democratic leaders that West Virginia will be a major campaign state for them.

"Truthfully, no one has said, 'You're a key state,'" he said.

West Virginia has only five electoral votes and Obama was overwhelmingly defeated in the state's May primary by Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. In addition, the state has a minute minority population, a group Obama is depending on to carry him through in several Southern states where he has said his candidacy will increase black voter turnout by 30 percent.

Obama visited West Virginia twice before the primary election. McCain came once after the election for a private meeting with state GOP leaders after a visit to a St. Albans sporting goods shop. McCain also landed at Tri-State Airport in Kenova last week on his way to a town meeting in Portsmouth, Ohio.

With Ohio, Virginia and Pennsylvania seen as potential battlegrounds for the two campaigns, leaders of both state parties believe the candidates will be in the Mountain State only while going to an adjacent state. Both camps' television ads, however, might cover the state while the campaigns try to reach voters in adjacent states.

Reach Tom Searls at tomsea...@wvgazette.com or 348-5198.