Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama will campaign in West Virginia on Monday, Obama campaign officials confirmed Friday afternoon.

Details of the Illinois senator's visit had not been decided, Thomas Bowen, spokesman for Obama's West Virginia campaign, said Friday afternoon.

Bowen acknowledged what pollsters and national prognosticators have said for weeks: West Virginia most likely will vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in Tuesday's primary election. Polls have shown her to be far ahead of Obama in the state.

"We fight for every vote," Bowen said. "It's an uphill climb."

He readily admits that former President Bill Clinton and his wife are popular figures in West Virginia and have been campaigning throughout the state since 1992.

Still, many of those same pundits expect Obama to be the Democratic nominee. Obama's campaign in West Virginia has run television and radio spots, opened 11 regional offices around the state and brought in surrogates to campaign for him since this week's primaries in North Carolina and Indiana.

"I think the results in Indiana and North Carolina were pretty definitive that Barack is going to become the nominee," Bowen said. "We are laying the groundwork for the fall."

A Williamson city councilman told his colleagues that he had received "unofficial" word that Obama would be in that town on Monday, the Williamson Daily News reported. Williamson is on the Kentucky border, and Kentucky's primary is a week after West Virginia's.

Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama will campaign in West Virginia on Monday, Obama campaign officials confirmed Friday afternoon.

Details of the Illinois senator's visit had not been decided, Thomas Bowen, spokesman for Obama's West Virginia campaign, said Friday afternoon.

Bowen acknowledged what pollsters and national prognosticators have said for weeks: West Virginia most likely will vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in Tuesday's primary election. Polls have shown her to be far ahead of Obama in the state.

"We fight for every vote," Bowen said. "It's an uphill climb."

He readily admits that former President Bill Clinton and his wife are popular figures in West Virginia and have been campaigning throughout the state since 1992.

Still, many of those same pundits expect Obama to be the Democratic nominee. Obama's campaign in West Virginia has run television and radio spots, opened 11 regional offices around the state and brought in surrogates to campaign for him since this week's primaries in North Carolina and Indiana.

"I think the results in Indiana and North Carolina were pretty definitive that Barack is going to become the nominee," Bowen said. "We are laying the groundwork for the fall."

A Williamson city councilman told his colleagues that he had received "unofficial" word that Obama would be in that town on Monday, the Williamson Daily News reported. Williamson is on the Kentucky border, and Kentucky's primary is a week after West Virginia's.

National news reports Friday said Obama has erased or virtually erased Clinton's lead in super delegates - Democratic officeholders and party officials who can vote for whomever they want at the party's convention. West Virginia has 10, with three so far committed to Clinton and two to Obama.

U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., will be in the state campaigning for the Illinois senator early next week. Kennedy's tentative plans are to fly into Charleston and attend an event in Elkins before leaving, Bowen said.

Kennedy's cousin, Max Kennedy (the son of Robert F. Kennedy), campaigned for Obama in the Huntington and Charleston areas earlier this week.

Obama's campaign believes it can capture West Virginia over the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain. McCain's camp has said the Arizona senator will make a West Virginia appearance on May 16.

Bowen said fighting for votes in the primary election should help Mountain State residents get to know the Illinois senator.

No Democrat has captured the White House without carrying West Virginia since Woodrow Wilson's run for re-election in 1916.

"I think West Virginia is an extremely important state for November," Bowen said.

To contact staff writer Tom Searls, use e-mail or call 348-5198.