Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will take a trip Tuesday to Southwest Virginia's coal country, a region where some say he must do well if he has a chance to carry the state.

On Tuesday afternoon, Obama will hold a town hall meeting at Lebanon High School in Russell County, about 20 miles north of Abingdon.

Some political analysts believe the Appalachian vote could determine whether Obama or Republican John McCain will carry Virginia and grab its 12 electoral votes. The state has not voted Democratic in a presidential race since 1964.

Political analyst Larry Sabato said he believes McCain will do well in the region, which lies almost entirely in the 9th Congressional District, but that the margin of the vote could carry statewide significance.

Generally, the 9th tends to lean right on issues such as the war but lean left when candidates emphasize policies they believe could benefit the region's economically troubled areas, analysts say.

Obama is paying close attention to the region; his campaign has four offices west of Roanoke. The McCain campaign has none.

In Lebanon on Tuesday, Obama will discuss his plans for righting the U.S. economy, ending dependence on foreign oil and creating jobs, his campaign said.

Obama visited Bristol and Prince William County immediately after securing the nomination in June and made a swing from Martinsville to Lynchburg to Chester and to Chesapeake before heading to the Democratic National Convention in Denver where he accepted the nomination.

Obama's running mate, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, made a campaign visit to Virginia Beach this week.

McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, are expected to visit Virginia this fall, as both political parties consider Virginia and its electoral votes as up for grabs despite Virginia's solidly Republican voting record in presidential contests since 1968. Details of any McCain-Palin visits have not yet been released by the campaign.

--Duncan Adams and Laurence Hammack