Each remaining state key for Democrats

WASHINGTON, March 16 (UPI) -- Democratic rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are now giving each state's primary election serious attention in their race to become U.S. president.

The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal said Sunday Clinton, the senator from New York, and Obama, her colleague from Illinois, are fighting for every possible delegate as their campaign race draws ever closer to its end. The winner will face Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in the general election this November

Democratic strategist Morris Reid said in addition to Pennsylvania's April 22 primary, Indiana's May 6 primary and Kentucky's May 20 primary are suddenly critical in the tense bid for the party's nomination.

"Everybody's in play," Reid said. "I think it will be settled right before the convention (Aug. 25-28), but they're going to play this thing all the way out."

While Pennsylvania's 158 delegates mark the largest single-state delegate total left in the primaries, Obama campaign spokeswoman Shannon Gilson told The Courier-Journal every remaining state would be a vital win.

"We take each contest seriously," Gilson said. "As Senator Clinton has said, this is a race for delegates. We plan to be competitive in each of these states."