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Barack Obama is headed to the neglected Democratic states of Florida and Michigan, as he focuses on a general election strategy with his primary race winding down.

It will be Obama’s first time in either state since signing a pledge nine months ago not to campaign in the two states that violated national party rules with early primaries. Obama will have to build relationships in the two critical general election battlegrounds if he wins the Democratic nomination.

The Obama campaign announced a five-state tour over the next two weeks that includes stops in remaining primary states South Dakota and Oregon but is dominated by swing states where he hopes to run strong against Republican John McCain once the marathon Democratic race ends.

Obama leads in delegates needed to secure the Democratic nomination, even though he’s expected to lose badly on Tuesday to rival Hillary Clinton in West Virginia. He’ll try to move on from the loss by campaigning in Missouri, a state that President Bush won in 2000 and 2004.

On Wednesday, he plans to make two stops in Michigan — the swing Macomb County and the GOP stronghold of Grand Rapids. He plans to spend three days starting May 21 in Florida, with stops in Tampa, Orlando, Palm Beach County and Miami. The area is a popular stop for political fundraising, but the Obama campaign says the candidate will mostly be appealing for votes.

“Our schedule reflects the fact that we are still fighting for votes and delegates in the remaining contests but also that we are going to places that are going to be competitive in the fall,” said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. “John McCain has gone unchallenged for far too long, and we’re going to make sure that voters in competitive states know the choice in this election between changing Washington and the third term of George Bush’s failed policies that McCain is offering.”

All the Democratic presidential candidates agreed on boycotting Michigan and Florida. Clinton won both states, but no delegates were awarded. Restoring the delegates is a major part of Clinton’s longshot strategy for the nomination.

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LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Democratic leaders on Wednesday settled on a plan to give presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton 69 delegates and Barack Obama 59 as a way to get the state’s delegates seated at the national convention. Clinton won the Jan. 15 Michigan primary and was to get 73 pledged delegates under state party rules, while Obama was to get 55. The state also has 29 superdelegates.

The state party’s executive committee voted Wednesday to ask the national party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee to approve the 69-59 delegate split when it meets May 31. The plan would allow the state’s 157 delegates and superdelegates to be seated at the convention.

A separate plan submitted to the rules committee by Democratic National Committee members Joel Ferguson of Michigan and Jon Ausman of Florida, both superdelegates, apparently will be withdrawn now that the Michigan executive committee has settled on the 69-59 plan. Under their proposal, delegates would have been allocated based on the primary election results, but have had only half a vote each. The superdelegates would have had full voting rights.

A message seeking comment was left on Ferguson’s cell phone Wednesday evening.

The DNC stripped Michigan and Florida of their convention delegates — 366 in all, including pledged delegates and superdelegates — for holding their primaries too early in the nominating process, which violated party rules.

The 69-59 split was proposed last week by four prominent Michigan Democrats who have been working for months to find a way to get Michigan’s delegates seated at the Aug. 25-28 convention in Denver: Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger, Sen. Carl Levin and DNC member Debbie Dingell, wife of Rep. John Dingell.

State party Chairman Mark Brewer said he thinks the state is closer to reaching a solution agreeable to the candidates and state and national party officials, although there is no guarantee that the rules committee will accept the plan or agree to seat the delegates.

“This does move the process forward in terms of stating our own position to the DNC,” Brewer said Wednesday after the meeting.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said of the decision, “It is clear results in January won’t be used to allocate delegates, and we agree with that decision. We have been talking with Michigan leaders about this proposal and will continue to do so.”

Clinton spokesman Isaac Baker said the campaign expects a quick resolution. “The bottom line is that the delegates from Michigan and Florida must be seated,” he said in a statement released Wednesday night.

Trailing in delegates, Clinton and her campaign have been pressing for her wins in Florida and Michigan to be recognized and the delegates seated. Obama, who wants to preserve his lead, has suggested other solutions such as splitting the delegates evenly.

Obama joined several candidates who removed their names from Michigan’s ballot, and Clinton and Obama agreed not to campaign in either state.

Meanwhile, former President Carter said Wednesday that delegates from Florida and Michigan should not be counted at the Democratic National Convention because they “disqualified themselves.” He warned of a disaster if party insiders try to wrest the nomination from the candidate with the largest number of votes and state victories.

An attempt by so-called Democratic superdelegates to override the popular vote “would be an almost unacceptable thing,” Carter told Jay Leno on “The Tonight Show.”

If a candidate has a clear edge in votes, state-by-state wins and delegates claimed at caucuses and primaries, “I can’t imagine that the superdelegates would go against them,” Carter said. “It would be a catastrophe for the party.”

Carter’s comments came a day after the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, in which Obama padded his delegate lead over Clinton. In the tight race the judgment of superdelegates — elected officials and party insiders who can vote as they like at the party’s August nominating convention — will almost certainly be decisive.

Carter, a superdelegate, has not expressed a preference in the race but has hinted that he supports Obama.

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BURBANK, Calif. — Former President Jimmy Carter said Wednesday that delegates from Florida and Michigan should not be counted at the Democratic National Convention because they “disqualified themselves,” and he warned of a disaster if party insiders try to wrest the nomination from the candidate with the largest number of votes and state victories.

An attempt by so-called Democratic superdelegates to override the popular vote “would be an almost unacceptable thing,” Carter told Jay Leno on “The Tonight Show.”

If a candidate has a clear edge in votes, state-by-state wins and delegates claimed at caucuses and primaries, “I can’t imagine that the superdelegates would go against them,” Carter said. “It would be a catastrophe for the party.”

Carter’s comments came a day after the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, in which Barack Obama padded his delegate lead over Hillary Rodham Clinton. In the tight race the judgment of superdelegates — elected officials and party insiders who can vote as they like at the party’s August nominating convention — will almost certainly be decisive.

The former president appeared eager at first to steer clear of the disputed primaries in Michigan and Florida, saying their delegations “ought to be seated — for sure — in 2012.”

But when pressed by Leno if those delegates should participate in 2008, Carter said, “No, they disqualified themselves.”

The Democratic National Committee stripped Florida and Michigan of their convention delegates — a total of 366 — after the two states violated party rules and scheduled early primaries. Clinton and Obama agreed not to campaign in either state, and Obama joined other candidates in removing their names from Michigan’s ballot. Clinton won both primaries and wants the results to be recognized.

Carter, a superdelegate, has not expressed a preference in the race but has hinted at his leanings.

“My children and their spouses are pro-Obama. My grandchildren are also pro-Obama,” he told reporters in Nigeria last month. “As a superdelegate, I would not disclose who I am rooting for, but I leave you to make that guess.”

When will he decide?

“The first week in June,” Carter told Leno, after the final primaries are over.

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LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Democratic leaders are getting ready to decide how they want to appeal to the Democratic National Committee to seat their national convention delegates. The state Democratic Party’s 80-member executive committee plans to hold a conference call Wednesday night to discuss the options.

Under one plan, Michigan’s pledged delegates would be split 69-59 between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

The other proposal would give 73 pledged delegates to Clinton and 55 to Obama, based on the Jan. 15 primary results. The state’s 28 superdelegates would get a full vote at the convention, but the pledged delegates would get only half a vote.

The DNC stripped Michigan and Florida of their delegates for holding primaries before Feb. 5.

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LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Democrats working to get the state’s delegates seated at the Democratic National Convention are suggesting splitting them 69-59 between presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

The Democratic National Committee stripped Michigan of its 128 delegates for holding its presidential primary too early in the year. The state also has 28 superdelegates.

Clinton has argued that she should get 73 delegates based on the results of the Jan. 15 primary, which she won — 18 more than Obama.

Obama, who removed his name from the ballot, wants the 128 pledged delegates split evenly, 64-64.

The compromise, suggested Tuesday in a letter to Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer, fell halfway between the two proposals.

Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said the campaign looked forward to working with national and Michigan Democrats to find a solution.

Clinton spokesman Isaac Baker said “the bottom line is that Michigan’s votes must be counted.”

The DNC stripped Florida and Michigan of their convention delegates — 366 in all, including pledged delegates and superdelegates — for holding their primaries too early in the nominating process, which violated party rules.

Clinton and Obama agreed not to campaign in either state as a result, and Obama joined other candidates in removing their names from Michigan’s ballot.

Clinton won both contests. Trailing in delegates, with 2,025 needed to become the party’s presidential nominee, Clinton and her campaign have been pressing for those primary results to be recognized. Obama, who wants to preserve his lead, objects.

Both states have abandoned plans to hold do-over contests that would count, but are demanding to be allowed to participate in the voting for the nominee at the party’s national convention in Denver in late August.

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LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Democrats working to get the state’s delegates seated at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday suggested splitting them 69-59 between presidential candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

The Democratic National Committee stripped Michigan of its 128 delegates for holding its presidential primary too early in the year.

Clinton has argued that she should get 73 delegates based on the results of the Jan. 15 primary, which she won — 18 more than Obama.

Obama, who removed his name from the ballot, wants the 128 pledged delegates split evenly, 64-64.

The compromise, suggested Tuesday in a letter to Michigan Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer, fell halfway between the two proposals.

The DNC stripped Florida and Michigan of their convention delegates — 366 in all, including pledged delegates and superdelegates — for holding their primaries too early in the nominating process, which violated party rules.

Clinton and Obama agreed not to campaign in either state as a result, and Obama joined other candidates in removing their names from Michigan’s ballot.

Clinton won both contests. Trailing in delegates, with 2,025 needed to become the party’s presidential nominee, Clinton and her campaign have been pressing for those primary results to be recognized. Obama, who wants to preserve his lead, objects.

Both states have abandoned plans to hold do-over contests that would count, but are demanding to be allowed to participate in the voting for the nominee at the party’s national convention in Denver in late August.

Last week, the party’s Rules and Bylaws committee announced a May 31 meeting to consider a separate plan to award half delegates as a means of resolving the dispute over Florida’s and Michigan’s contests.