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Washington - Sen. Humphrey and Sen. Kennedy made it official Thursday - they're going to fight it out in West Virginia.

Kennedy announced at a 10:30 a.m. press conference here that he definitely will file as a Democratic presidential candidate in the West Virginia primary election.

A short time later, one of Humphrey's aides, Rein J. Vander Zee of Washington, arrived in Charleston and filed a similar candidacy for Humphrey.

Kennedy may fly to Charleston to file in person. West Virginia Secretary of State Joe F. Burdett said one of Kennedy's aides called him Thursday and said that Kennedy might be able to arrange a brief evening visit to Charleston during his air traveling. The aide asked if Burdett would open his office at night to accom[m]odate the senator and Burdett said he would.

The filings probably mean that both the Massachusetts senator and the Minnesota senator will make several appearances in West Virginia before the May 10 primary voting.

Although each must pay a $1,000 filing fee, they will gain nothing more concrete than an expression of public sentiment from the election. West Virginia delegates to national party conventions aren't obligated to support a candidate who winds the presidential preferential vote in the primary here.

So far, West Virginia is one of only three states in which Kennedy and Humphrey are facing each other.

Humphrey is offering himself to primary voters in Wisconsin, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, Oregon and South Dakota. He has not decided on Nebraska or Indiana, but plans to act shortly on Nebraska.

Kennedy is either in, or planning to be in, primaries in Wisconsin, West Virginia, Oregon, Nebraska, Indiana, New Hampshire, Ohio (through Gov. Michael V. Disalie) and Maryland.