Obama plans 10th campaign stop in North Carolina

Raleigh, N.C. — The presumptive Democratic nominee for president announced that he will give a talk about economic issues in Raleigh Tuesday.

Sen. Barack Obama, of Illinois, plans to speak at the Exposition Center at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds during the evening.

Campaign officials said Obama will speak about economic security and cited the state's unemployment rate – its highest since August 2003 – as a reason for his visit.

The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Adults are limited to two tickets, and children under 16 to one ticket.

People can pick up tickets at the campaign headquarters at 130 E. Morgan St. in Raleigh and at 215 E. Chatham St. in Cary. Distribution goes from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday.

Obama has spoken at the State Fairgrounds twice: also about economic issues on June 9, and with then-rival Sen. Hillary Clinton at the largest Jackson-Jefferson dinner in the state Democratic party's history on May 2.

The Obama campaign has targeted North Carolina as one of seven Republican-leaning states that it believes it can pull into the Democratic column in November. The candidate has made nine campaign stops in North Carolina, most recently on June 9.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the GOP's presumptive nominee, has added a full paid staff in North Carolina but is not running ads for right now.

McCain led Obama by four percentage points in a WRAL News poll released on Friday. That lead was extended from one point a month earlier.