Obama, McCain Bolster Their Presence in Va.

Stacey Brayboy, Obama's state director in South Carolina, will hold the same job in Virginia. Brayboy worked on Kaine's 2005 campaign for governor. Before joining the Obama campaign last year, Brayboy was a deputy agency head in Kaine's administration.

Mo Elleithee, a Clinton spokesman, said Clinton will be adding staff to her Virginia operation in the coming days. "We've got a great grass-roots organization in Virginia; it is a state we intend to compete hard in and do very well," said Elleithee, who was Kaine's communications director during his 2005 bid for governor.

McCain, who is competing against former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee for the GOP nomination, doesn't yet have paid staff in Virginia. But Del. Christopher B. Saxman (R-Staunton), co-chairman of McCain's Virginia campaign, organized an event at the Capitol to introduce two dozen McCain supporters, including Dels. David B. Albo (R-Fairfax) and Terry G. Kilgore (R-Scott) and former Secretary of State Lawrence S. Eagleburger, who lives in Charlottesville.

"I worked closely with former presidents Reagan and Bush and I have great respect for both," Eagleburger said. "John McCain is the only one who has those same qualities and will not be afraid to tell it like he sees it."

Depending on the outcome of the Feb. 5 Super Tuesday contests, when voters in 22 states go to the polls, Virginia could become a battleground among McCain, Romney and Huckabee.

The state has large populations of veterans and social conservatives, some of whom have expressed reservations about McCain. But at a meeting with Washington Post editors and reporters Thursday, Virginia Republican Party Chairman John H. Hager said he thinks McCain has an early advantage in the state.

For more information on Virginia politics and a complete list of who endorsed McCain and Obama on Thursday, go tohttp://blog.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics.