Ohio and West Virginia continues to be key stops on the Presidential race campaign trail as Sen. John Edwards plans visit Portsmouth Thursday.

The N.C. Democrat, John Kerry's vice presidential candidate, will speak at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Roy Rogers Esplanade at the corner of Chillicothe and Gallia streets in downtown Portsmouth.

Edwards will be speaking in West Virginia Wednesday before his bus tour will travel to the Buckeye state, exactly one week after President George W. Bush visited Huntington, Portsmouth and Ironton.

"We have gotten quite popular, haven't we," said Craig Allen, chair of the Lawrence County Democratic Party.

Free tickets for supporters will be available at the county's Democratic headquarters located at 318 S. Fourth St., in Ironton from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and Wednesday.

Tickets may also be available at other Democratic headquarters in the Tri-State.