"Republican Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign says it has launched an aggressive campaign in Virginia, recruiting volunteers, knocking on doors and calling voters to try to win one of the nation's newest battleground states.

The campaign recently named Virginia the state with the most voters reached by phone or door-to-door canvassing at night and on weekends.

Republican activists in the state say they are targeting independent voters, military families and veterans, among other groups, encouraging them to register and go to the polls Nov. 4.

"Virginia is very important. We will do everything we need to do to win," said Carly Fiorina, Republican National Committee victory chairman and a top McCain adviser. "Make no mistake, John McCain will fight very hard in Virginia."

Two months before the November election, Republicans and Democrats have set their sights on Virginia's 13 electoral votes. Both parties acknowledge that the state can no longer be considered a Republican stronghold.

No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Virginia since 1964, but an influx of voters and a stronger get-out-the-vote effort have helped Democrats win the past two gubernatorial elections, a high-profile Senate race in 2006 and the state Senate last year. The campaigns say McCain and his Democratic opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, are polling close in Virginia.

Delegates from Maryland and the District say they are leaving the Republican National Convention fired up but concede there is not much chance of the GOP ticket carrying either jurisdiction. Instead, some will provide help in Virginia and other key states.

"Three points in Maryland isn't as important as three points in Virginia or three points in Pennsylvania," said Don Murphy, a former state delegate and leader of the Maryland delegation.

Some prominent Maryland Republicans, including former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold, have already traveled to other states or have scheduled appearances.

Obama has been to Virginia three times since he secured the nomination in June. His wife, Michelle Obama, has traveled to the state once, and his vice presidential nominee, Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., came for the first time Thursday to speak at George Mason University in Prince William County.

McCain has not held any public events in Virginia since the Feb. 12 primary. Staff members said they expect him and his vice presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, to visit this fall, but the campaign has not released details.

McCain's push in Virginia started well before he won the state GOP primary but, unlike Obama's campaign, his staff said it has purposely kept most details secret to avoid revealing strategy. They released a few details this week when asked by The Washington Post. Other information about the campaign's strategy came from state Republican leaders and the Republican Party of Virginia.

Republican activists expect McCain to win the conservative areas of Northern Virginia, including Prince William and Loudoun counties; Hampton Roads, home to the world's largest naval base and evangelical populations; and the rural, mostly white Southside and southwest Virginia.

Activists also hope the self-described maverick can appeal to moderates and independents in Fairfax County. Democrats expect Obama to win big in the rest of Northern Virginia, perform well in competitive Hampton Roads and attract large numbers of African Americans and younger voters of all backgrounds across the state.

McCain's campaign has opened offices in Arlington County, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Richmond, Virginia Beach and Roanoke. It will open several more in the coming weeks, according to Del. Christopher B. Saxman (R-Staunton), co-chairman of McCain's Virginia campaign.

Each of Virginia's 124 cities and counties already has a designated chairman serving as a local contact, and the campaign is working to assemble more than 1,000 precinct captains.

"There's no question the McCain campaign will put a tremendous amount of focus on Virginia, and that is already happening,'' said Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), a leading McCain surrogate. "We will continue to see that over the next couple months up until Election Day. . . . Virginia will go for John McCain, but it'll take some work."

Since June, the Obama campaign has opened 42 offices and dispatched dozens of experienced field operatives into communities across Virginia. Obama considered Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) to be his running mate and tapped former governor Mark R. Warner to give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention.

Mitch Stewart, state director of Obama's Virginia campaign, said he is pleased with the level of energy and enthusiasm of volunteers and supporters in Virginia. He said the campaign knocked on 125,000 doors during the Labor Day weekend and held 1,000 house parties Aug. 28, the day Obama gave his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.

"I don't think Obama is doing anything in Virginia that McCain is not doing in Virginia," said Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Republican convention delegate.

Republicans acknowledge that their on-the-ground efforts have languished in recent years. To increase the army of volunteers who will make calls and knock on doors, Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell and Bolling, who will run for governor and lieutenant governor, respectively, next year, challenged local parties to double their membership in a three-month period ending next week.

McDonnell, Bolling and others called, wrote letters, and held barbecues and chili cook-offs to increase membership. About half of the 124 parties are expected to meet the goal and received money as a reward from McDonnell's and Bolling's campaigns.” (Anita Kumar, The Washington Post, September 5, 2008)

Staff writer John Wagner contributed to this report.