Obama team to open Va. campaign hub

Another piece of President Barack Obama's Virginia re-election infrastructure will go live Saturday when his campaign opens its state headquarters in downtown Richmond.

The plan for a third Virginia office opening in the past two months -- locations in Newport News and Fairfax County went operational last month, with another in Petersburg coming soon -- is a clear sign team Obama thinks the state will again be a presidential election battleground.

Newport News U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott and Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones, both Democrats, are scheduled to attend the Richmond opening Saturday. It's set for 11:30 that morning at 408 E. Main St.

Obama's Organizing for America has been active in Virginia since 2009, and has reached out to more than 300,000 Virginia so far this cycle, according to the campaign, which already has paid staff in the state Obama carried in 2008 en route to victory.

Presumptive Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney hasn't opened offices in Virginia, though supporters of another GOP contender, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, recently launched his state campaign headquarters in Norfolk.

Only Romney and Paul qualified for Virginia's March 6 primary. Several other Republican hopefuls unsuccessfully sued to get on the ballot.

-- Julian Walker

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