Democrat Barack Obama became the first candidate to formally file for Virginia’s presidential primaries Wednesday, but the contests are likely scheduled too late to influence the parties’ nominees, political analysts said.

Obama campaign staff turned in petitions signed by 20,000 registered voters — twice the amount required — to state election headquarters in Richmond.

The lllinois Democrat has campaigned in Virginia several times this year, most recently in Charlottesville. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who spent last weekend stumping for Obama in Iowa, will hit the campaign trail again next month to support the senator.

Although many other states moved their primaries or caucuses to earlier dates, Virginia stayed on Feb. 12.

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Old Dominion voters will not weigh in until a month after voters in the influential Iowa and New Hampshire contests.

They also will follow South Carolina, Michigan and other major states.

“By the time we get to Feb. 12, there might be nominees in both parties,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “Three-quarters of the delegates will have been chosen, and most of the big states will have already spoken.”

In 2004, the Virginia Democratic Primary came two weeks after New Hampshire’s, giving Old Dominion voters a greater say in their party’s nominee.

This year, the nominees could be decided by Feb. 5, when 20 states hold primaries or caucuses.

jrogalsky@dcexaminer.com