WASHINGTON — The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama could not confirm today the details of a report that the Illinois senator would visit Hawai'i this summer.

But campaign staff indicated that they believe Hawai'i would be an important state in the general election and did not rule out Obama traveling to Hawai'i after the Democratic National Convention in August, if he is the Democratic nominee, according to Tommy Vietor, a campaign spokesman.

The New York Times reported Sunday that Hawai'i-born Obama was considering a stop in the state sometime this summer and making a major address at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl, where his grandfather is buried.

The stop could be part of a tour that highlights Obama's life, according to the New York Times report.

State representatives of the Obama campaign also could not confirm a Hawai'i visit and said it would be up to the national campaign to make that decision.

Obama is popular among Hawai'i Democrats, taking 14 of the 20 regular delegates in the February Democratic caucuses while Hillary Rodham Clinton, his opponent for the presidential nomination, took six.

Among the state's superdelegates, Obama has the support of U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka and U.S. Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Mazie Hirono.

The state has five other superdelegates with DNC committeewoman Dolly Strazer backing Obama and DNC committeeman Richard Port supporting Clinton.

The remaining three superdelegates will be chosen at the state Democratic Party convention later this month.