FAIRFAX, Virginia (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain and vice presidential running mate Gov. Sarah Palin campaigned in northern Virginia for the first time on Wednesday, drawing a crowd of more than 20,000 people to a park in the sturdily Democratic county of Fairfax.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. John McCain campaign in Fairfax, Virginia, Wednesday.
"My friends, the commonwealth is Virginia is a battleground state," McCain told the audience, his largest of the campaign so far. "We must win it and we will win it with your support."
McCain's choice to stump in Fairfax County, a populous Washington suburb that went Democratic in the last two presidential elections, might seem unusual for a Republican.
The county is ground zero for a string of recent statewide Democratic victories that have given Obama's campaign hope that it can nab Virginia's 13 electoral votes, which have not gone to a Democrat since 1964.
Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, trounced former Republican Sen. George Allen in the county in 2006 during a hotly contested race for the U.S. Senate, and Tim Kaine racked up healthy margins in Fairfax in the 2005 governor's race.
Despite those recent trends, McCain's campaign believes by campaigning in Obama's backyard, it can blunt the Democrat's performance in a region of the state where he needs to run well in order to win.
"One in seven voters in Virginia lives in Fairfax County," said Trey Walker, mid-Atlantic campaign manager for the McCain campaign. "Clearly Fairfax is a top priority, and northern Virginia is a perfect fit for John McCain and Sarah Palin."
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