Inez

Senator McCain and his unlikely press conference companion, Debbie Blevins, of Warfield

INEZ – (Updated) John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, said he will probably be spending more time in Kentucky as the general election campaign heats up.

“I think that I have to campaign hard here. In some ways you can view it as a swing state,” McCain said. “I have to come back here. Kentucky plays a very big role... so I can not take anything in the state of Kentucky for granted.”

McCain made the comments during a press availability at a construction site in the eastern Kentucky town of Inez. Earlier, McCain held a town hall meeting in front of an enthusiastic, capacity crowd.