Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chooses bottles of salsa for himself and his vice presidential running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, during a visit to El Pinto restaurant Sunday afternoon in Albuquerque, N.M. Sept. 7, 2008. Palin's husband Todd looks on at right.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) _ Republican presidential candidate John McCain, in his fourth visit to New Mexico since Memorial Day, told supporters Saturday it's a battleground state "and we must win New Mexico."



McCain and his vice presidential choice, Sarah Palin, rode their post-convention wave into Albuquerque for a rally after stopping in Colorado Springs earlier in the day. The two spoke for about half an hour to an enthusiastic crowd whose cheers and applause sometimes drowned out McCain's remarks.



Supporters, some of whom waited for hours, greeted the Republican ticket with cheers, shouts and American flags. McCain and his wife, Cindy, were met on stage by actor Robert Duvall and his wife, then Palin and her husband Todd followed them to the stage.



The crowd broke into a chant of "U.S.A., U.S.A.," and erupted in cheers when Duvall introduced Palin.



Republicans gave out 6,000 tickets to the rally.