Hillary Clinton in Seattle on Thursday night

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton will make a campaign appearance Thursday evening in Seattle, a day before her Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama, arrives.

Clinton is scheduled to appear at the event at 8 p.m. at Pier 30 on Seattle's waterfront.

"She sees Washington as a key state for her and a state where she can do well," said campaign spokeswoman Charla Neuman.

Clinton had originally planned to send her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to make appearances in Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane. But the campaign decided today to make a switch and send Sen. Clinton instead.

Sen. Clinton will also make appearances in Washington on Friday, but the details of those events are still pending, Neuman said.

Obama is scheduled to appear at a public event in Seattle, but details have not yet been released.

Clinton and Obama are locked in one of the closest presidential races in decades. Washington voters get to weigh in Saturday, when the state Democratic Party holds its precinct caucuses, where it will apportion all of its delegates. The party will not use Feb. 19's primary results.

Ralph Thomas: 360-943-9882 or rthomas@seattletimes.com