CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The state headquarters for a coordinated Democratic campaign for Barack Obama is scheduled to open Monday in downtown Charleston, state party director Tom Vogel confirmed Thursday.

Effective Monday, Vogel said he will be state coordinator for the Campaign for Change, and pledged that the Obama/Biden ticket will be running an aggressive campaign in West Virginia.

"The campaign is making a significant investment up front," he said.

Initially, the campaign will have a paid staff of 22, including 15 field coordinators, and also will be opening campaign offices in Morgantown, the northern and eastern panhandles, and in southern West Virginia, he said.

The Charleston headquarters is located at the intersection of Lee and Capitol streets downtown.

While most national pundits have West Virginia as a solid "red" state, meaning it is favoring Republican John McCain to win, Vogel said he believes an aggressive campaign can even those odds.

"I would never have taken this position if I did not believe we could win this thing in West Virginia," said Vogel, who pointed out that many of the same pundits had West Virginia as a lock for Democrat Al Gore in 2000.

"It's not going to be just a token presence in West Virginia," state Democratic Party chairman Nick Casey said Thursday. "They've come to play, both with personnel and the offices they're going to open."

Casey said that while some party faithful were concerned that the Obama campaign might write-off West Virginia, he never got that impression.

"We've always understood that they're going to run a 50-state campaign," he said.

Vogel said he's looking forward to the fall campaign, noting that in most other statewide races this fall, the Democrats are either running uncontested or running well ahead of their challengers.

Both Casey and Vogel were in Denver Thursday, attending the final day of the Democratic National Convention.

Reach Phil Kabler at ph...@wvgazette.com or 348-1220.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The state headquarters for a coordinated Democratic campaign for Barack Obama is scheduled to open Monday in downtown Charleston, state party director Tom Vogel confirmed Thursday.

Effective Monday, Vogel said he will be state coordinator for the Campaign for Change, and pledged that the Obama/Biden ticket will be running an aggressive campaign in West Virginia.

"The campaign is making a significant investment up front," he said.

Initially, the campaign will have a paid staff of 22, including 15 field coordinators, and also will be opening campaign offices in Morgantown, the northern and eastern panhandles, and in southern West Virginia, he said.

The Charleston headquarters is located at the intersection of Lee and Capitol streets downtown.

While most national pundits have West Virginia as a solid "red" state, meaning it is favoring Republican John McCain to win, Vogel said he believes an aggressive campaign can even those odds.

"I would never have taken this position if I did not believe we could win this thing in West Virginia," said Vogel, who pointed out that many of the same pundits had West Virginia as a lock for Democrat Al Gore in 2000.

"It's not going to be just a token presence in West Virginia," state Democratic Party chairman Nick Casey said Thursday. "They've come to play, both with personnel and the offices they're going to open."

Casey said that while some party faithful were concerned that the Obama campaign might write-off West Virginia, he never got that impression.

"We've always understood that they're going to run a 50-state campaign," he said.

Vogel said he's looking forward to the fall campaign, noting that in most other statewide races this fall, the Democrats are either running uncontested or running well ahead of their challengers.

Both Casey and Vogel were in Denver Thursday, attending the final day of the Democratic National Convention.

Reach Phil Kabler at ph...@wvgazette.com or 348-1220.