CHARLESTON, W.Va. - As Hillary Clinton returns to Charleston today, some prominent women who campaigned for her sweeping primary victory in West Virginia said they will join her again to unite the Democratic Party under Barack Obama.

Phyllis Rutledge had no doubt that Clinton could win the Democratic nomination for president. The former House of Delegates member and Kanawha County Clinton organizer had admired Clinton since her days as first lady.

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Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 -Ohioan Larry Hicks, originally from Mingo County, brought his Barack Obama van (formerly his Hillary Clinton van) to Charleston to make his sentiments known in the upcoming election. Hicks' van, which he bought for $250 and painted red, white and blue, is covered with about 7,000 signatures, gathered on his campaign trips around the country.

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But after Clinton ended her campaign and endorsed Obama in June, Rutledge faced a tough decision.

"Frankly, when the election was over, I was very disappointed. I worked really hard for her," Rutledge said. "I won't say that I didn't think about supporting [John] McCain."

Elaine Harris, a West Virginia delegate to the Democratic National Convention, also felt the sting of disappointment after Obama became the presidential nominee.

"The beauty of Hillary Clinton is that people were so committed to her. It was hard not to get emotional," Harris said.

Clinton's encouragement to delegates at the August convention to support Obama helped soothe the frustration she and her fellow Clinton stalwarts felt, Harris said.

"We wanted to get behind what she thought was the best thing to do." Harris said. "Certainly it was disappointing, but we've got to keep our eye on the big picture."

Rutledge, too, made the transition.

"I started checking closely and saw Obama was a great deal like Hillary, and I made up my mind for Obama. There's just no comparison between Obama and McCain," she said.

Despite speculation that frustrated Clinton supporters would cross the aisle and vote for McCain, some former Clinton followers in the state said they have turned to Obama for solutions on the economic crisis.

"I really got to know a lot of supporters and I have not run into any of the Clinton supporters that I worked with that are supporting John McCain," said Marie Prezioso, a superdelegate who committed to Clinton in the primary.

While dedication to campaigning in West Virginia and admiration for President Bill Clinton influenced votes in the primary, Prezioso said issues like the economy have overshadowed the party division.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - As Hillary Clinton returns to Charleston today, some prominent women who campaigned for her sweeping primary victory in West Virginia said they will join her again to unite the Democratic Party under Barack Obama.

Phyllis Rutledge had no doubt that Clinton could win the Democratic nomination for president. The former House of Delegates member and Kanawha County Clinton organizer had admired Clinton since her days as first lady.

Rutledge organized volunteers to wave signs at motorists, sent mailings and campaigned enthusiastically for the New York senator, who carried the Mountain State by 67 percent in the May primary.

But after Clinton ended her campaign and endorsed Obama in June, Rutledge faced a tough decision.

"Frankly, when the election was over, I was very disappointed. I worked really hard for her," Rutledge said. "I won't say that I didn't think about supporting [John] McCain."

Elaine Harris, a West Virginia delegate to the Democratic National Convention, also felt the sting of disappointment after Obama became the presidential nominee.

"The beauty of Hillary Clinton is that people were so committed to her. It was hard not to get emotional," Harris said.

Clinton's encouragement to delegates at the August convention to support Obama helped soothe the frustration she and her fellow Clinton stalwarts felt, Harris said.

"We wanted to get behind what she thought was the best thing to do." Harris said. "Certainly it was disappointing, but we've got to keep our eye on the big picture."

Rutledge, too, made the transition.

"I started checking closely and saw Obama was a great deal like Hillary, and I made up my mind for Obama. There's just no comparison between Obama and McCain," she said.

Despite speculation that frustrated Clinton supporters would cross the aisle and vote for McCain, some former Clinton followers in the state said they have turned to Obama for solutions on the economic crisis.

"I really got to know a lot of supporters and I have not run into any of the Clinton supporters that I worked with that are supporting John McCain," said Marie Prezioso, a superdelegate who committed to Clinton in the primary.

While dedication to campaigning in West Virginia and admiration for President Bill Clinton influenced votes in the primary, Prezioso said issues like the economy have overshadowed the party division.

In the West Virginia primary, exit polls indicated that about 35 percent of Clinton supporters would vote for McCain over Obama.

"In a sense, time and economic tension have diminished somewhat the worry that Hillary supporters, especially white working-class women, would not support Obama," said Robert Rupp, a professor of political science and history at West Virginia Wesleyan College.

Rupp said a poll conducted in late September by West Virginia Wesleyan shows that Clinton would have been slightly ahead in the state if she had been the nominee, while Obama trails McCain in most polls.

"The good news for Obama is that 80 percent of [Clinton's] voters appear to have automatically switched," Rupp said.

Though more female voters in West Virginia favored Clinton than Obama, according to primary exit polls, former Clinton supporters said gender was not a decisive issue and discounted the influence of McCain's running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin.

"The issue was never about being a woman. It was about Hillary Clinton and what she stood for," said Belinda Biafore, state Democratic vice chairwoman, also a superdelegate that supported Clinton in the primary.

"I think if you were a true believer, there's no way you could vote for McCain. It may have taken some of them a while, but the passionate women going door to door for Hillary Clinton are the same passionate women supporting Barack Obama," Biafore said.

With women contending for prominent state offices in Congress, the state Supreme Court and Secretary of State's office, female voters are not to be discounted in the general election, Rupp said.

 Though an increase in voter registration across the country could indicate a record turnout on Nov. 4, uncontested races and West Virginia's non-swing state status for the presidential race may stagnate votes, Rupp said.

State voter records show 559,184 women registered to vote in West Virginia. In this year's primary, 230,221 women voted, compared with 173,583 women in the 2004 primary, according to the Secretary of State's office.

"If women candidates can mobilize women voters and there's low turnout, it would not hurt and could possibly help women candidates," Rupp said.

Rutledge said she hopes to join fellow Clinton supporters to rally voters for Obama over the next month and perhaps share some premier "honk and wave" spots she scouted diligently for Clinton's campaign.

"I think that if we exert some really smart planning, Obama can win West Virginia. I certainly hope and pray he can," she said.

Reach Kellen Henry at khe...@wvgazette.com or 348-5179.