The Chair of the Republican Party in Fayette County says the Democrats can bring whoever they want to West Virginia prior to the General Election and Gary Lilly says Arizona Senator John McCain will still win the state.

"I still think West Virginia is in McCain's column and I think we're going to stay there," Lilly says.

Senator McCain's brother Joe McCain was scheduled to be in Fayette County for the Lincoln Day Dinner there on Thursday night.

Lilly first met Joe McCain at the Republican National Convention.  "He's a strong American.  He's a Vietnam vet.  He's a brother to me, I'm a Vietnam veteran and I am a proud supporter of John McCain."

And Lilly says there are many people like him in Southern West Virginia where, he says, Republicans are making strides in areas where Democrats heavily outnumber them.

"Our response is tremendous.  Registrations are up.  We have people switching from Democrats to Independents, some coming to the Republicans.  Most of what we're hearing here is that people are going voting for John McCain here in Fayette County."

The Lincoln Day Dinner begins at six p.m. on Thursday night at the Lewis Community Center in Oak Hill.