With the presidential election's two biggest stars come and gone from New Mexico last week, is the campaigning in our once-tight state over?

Doesn't seem that way.

Michelle Obama will hold a free, public rally today in Las Vegas. No tickets are required; doors open at 11 a.m. at Old Town Plaza Park. And, between now and the election, former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts will be in the state, as will a flurry of other surrogates for both campaigns.

"No, we are not tired," said the Republican National Committee's Bill Riggs, who is pitching in at the state Republican Party office in Albuquerque. "Adrenaline has taken over. ... We are very confident we are within striking distance. We are optimistic that we are in the spot we need to be."

The Republicans are also planning a "Western Business Tour" that will swing through the state and feature Arizona Sen. John Kyle, former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer and the head of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce.

They "will be touring New Mexico, touring New Mexican small business, talking about how John McCain's policies to lower taxes will create jobs, benefit all Americans and that Barack Obama's policy to raise taxes on small businesses, spread the wealth and raise government spending is the exact wrong thing this country needs right now," Riggs said.

As for the Democrats, the Obama campaign says U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes will campaign in Clovis and Portales.

"Across the state in all our 39 offices, our campaign, our volunteers and supporters are very excited, very energized on the heels of Senator Obama's historic visit to Albuquerque," said Carlos Sanchez, a spokesman for Obama in New Mexico.

He said the campaign is fighting for "every vote."

"Our campaign is going out there to engage every New Mexican voter we can to make the case why Barack Obama is the best choice for New Mexico."

Gov. Bill Richardson also will hold early-vote rallies in Albuquerque and Santa Fe on Wednesday.

Many political pundits say so much of this election happened so early — including the voting.

In Santa Fe County, at least 21,000 have voted, County Clerk Valerie Espinoza said Monday.

"It's still very steady, but (they are) very patient," she said of the voters.

While Bernalillo County last week expanded hours to accommodate the crush of voters, Santa Fe and other counties have yet to do so, citing legal concerns about changing hours they say are set in law.

The most recent average of polls done by the Web site realclearpolitics.com showed Obama leading McCain in the state 50.7 percent to 42.3 percent.

Voter-registration statistics released last week show Democrats have added the most new voters, and now account for 50 percent of the voters in the state. People who chose the Republican Party make up 32 percent of registered voters, while 15 percent chose no party.

Contact Kate Nash at 986-3036 or knash@sfnewmexican.com. Read her blog, Green Chile Chatter, at www.santafenewmexican.com.