Associated Press | File 2007

In his announcement, Sen. Jim Webb said he wants to continue to serve Virginia.

RICHMOND -- U.S. Sen. Jim Webb ended speculation Monday about his prospects for joining the ticket of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, saying: "Under no circumstances will I be a candidate for vice president."

Webb's announcement removes an often-mentioned name from a long list of potential running mates for Obama, who clinched the Democratic nomination last month and has turned his attention to Republican nominee John McCain. Webb has served in the Senate for just 18 months, but his military experience and foreign policy credentials were considered assets by Democrats who touted him as a potential vice presidential candidate.

Webb said he told Obama last week that he wants to remain in the Senate, "where I believe I am best equipped to serve the people of Virginia and this country."

"A year and a half ago, the people of Virginia honored me with election to the U.S. Senate," Webb said in a statement released by his office. "I entered elective politics because of my commitment to strengthen America's national security posture, to promote economic fairness, and to increase government accountability. I have worked hard to deliver upon that commitment, and I am convinced that my efforts and talents toward those ends are best served in the Senate."

Webb added that he will "work hard to make sure that Senator Obama wins both Virginia and the presidency this November."

A Webb spokeswoman declined to discuss Webb's dealings with the Obama campaign over the vice presidency. But Webb hinted last month at the state Democratic Party convention that he might not be comfortable in the role, telling reporters: "When you're inside an administration, you absolutely owe your loyalty to the larger positions of the administration."

Webb, 62, is a decorated Vietnam veteran who served a stint as secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration. He defeated Republican incumbent George Allen in a close 2006 election that gave Democrats control of the Senate. His national profile has grown in recent months as he led the fight for a new GI bill that gives college education benefits to veterans who served during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

State Democratic Party Chairman Richard Cranwell of Vinton said Webb "has already made historic progress in the U.S. Senate" by getting the legislation passed.

Webb said his efforts to build bipartisan support for the legislation "will serve as a prototype for my future endeavors in government."

Webb is the second Virginia Democrat in recent weeks to take his name out of the vice presidential pool. Former Gov. Mark Warner said last month that he is focused solely on winning Virginia's other U.S. Senate seat, now occupied by retiring Republican John Warner.

Gov. Tim Kaine, a national co-chairman of Obama's campaign, also has been mentioned as a long-shot prospect for the national ticket. Kaine said Monday that Webb would have been a strong choice for the ticket, but "it is good news for Virginia that he will continue to represent the commonwealth in the U.S. Senate."

Larry Sabato, the director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, called Webb's announcement a surprise. Webb could have helped Obama by bringing "military, defense and national security credentials in a swing state," Sabato said.

But the intense scrutiny of a national campaign could have been a deterrent, Sabato said. During his Senate campaign, Webb was criticized for some of the work he has penned as a writer, including a 1979 magazine article in which he argued against letting women into combat.

Sabato said Webb's decision still leaves a long list of potential Obama running mates that includes Sens. Evan Bayh of Indiana, Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Bill Nelson of Florida, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, and former Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia.

But Webb's decision won't affect Obama's ability to compete in Virginia, Sabato said.