DENVER -- Democrat John Kerry will prepare for the next presidential debate at an Arapahoe county hotel this week, a signal experts say means he considers Republican-leaning Colorado within his reach.

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Kerry plans to mix work with relaxation in advance of Friday's town-hall forum in St. Louis, campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill said.

"It's a chance to have a couple days in a state that matters so much," Cahill said Monday.

The visit will be Kerry's fifth to Colorado since June. He was scheduled to arrive at Denver International Airport on Tuesday afternoon around 3, and stay at the Inverness Hotel in the GOP-dominated suburbs south of town.

President George W. Bush will be here soon, too: He is scheduled to hold a $1,000-per-plate fund-raiser for Republican Senate candidate Peter Coors next Monday in Denver, Coors campaign spokeswoman Cinamon Watson said. Coors is in a tight race with Democrat Ken Salazar for the state's open Senate seat, being vacated by Republican Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell.

Bush will be staying in downtown Denver when he is here.

Colorado, where Republicans and unaffiliated voters each outnumber Democrats, went for Bush in 2000. Recent state polls have shown Bush and Kerry in a statistical tie or Bush up to 12 percentage points ahead of Kerry.

Denver pollster Floyd Ciruli, however, said national polls showing the candidates roughly even after last week's debate puts Colorado back in play.

"There's still a natural Republican advantage here, based on registration and voter history, but it's not that big," Ciruli said.

Colorado's relatively modest number of electoral votes -- nine -- could be crucial in a tight race, he added.

"It's less the size of the electoral vote than how close the Democrats think they are," Ciruli said.

Republican consultant Katy Atkinson of Denver said it makes sense for Kerry to use debate preparation time "to score a few political points" in a potential swing state.

"My guess is he's probably still behind (in Colorado), but I think you're going to see a lot of bouncing around between now and the election," Atkinson said.

Bush is serious about winning in Colorado, so any chance voters have to learn more about Kerry's policies of "raising taxes, increasing regulation, underfunding our troops" is good for the president, campaign spokeswoman Nicol Andrews said.

Cahill said Kerry had a good experience in Spring Green, Wis., where he prepared for the Sept. 30 debate that gave his campaign a boost in the polls. He talked to voters while there and spent time outdoors.

"I'm sure that he will in Colorado, too. He always wants to get out of the campaign bubble," Cahill said.

Kerry was expected to meet with voters after arriving at the airport, but details were sketchy. No other public appearances were announced. Cahill said Kerry and his wife would watch the vice presidential debate on television Tuesday night.

Campaign spokeswoman Laura Capps said Colorado is important to Kerry because he was born at the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in suburban Aurora. She added that the trip underscores his belief that Colorado is a state he can win.

"You couldn't get a bigger sign that we're committed to winning," she said.