BY OLYMPIA MEOLA

Mitt Romney’s campaign intends to file its paperwork on Tuesday to get on the ballot in Virginia, while fellow Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich is expected to make a stop in Richmond on Thursday.  

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, Romney’s Virginia campaign chairman, will file the petitions tomorrow, accompanied by state campaign co-chair Del. Christopher K. Peace, R-Hanover.

As of Monday afternoon, no Republican presidential candidate had filed petitions with the Virginia Board of Elections for the March 6 primary, according to an official there. The deadline is Thursday.

President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign delivered its petitions earlier this month.

In a short video sent out by Romney’s camp, the Republican presidential hopeful and former Massachusetts governor stands in a kitchen with his wife, Ann, showing paperwork he says he’d just signed.

“Lots of volunteers put in lots of hours,” he says, to gather more than 16,000 signatures. “That is fabulous.”

“Thanks so much you guys. Look forward to seeing you and winning in Virginia.”

Bolling said they will submit 16,026 signatures that were gathered by volunteers.  

“A super result,” he said. “We had a team out there working hard to collect these over the past months.”

Gov. Bob McDonnell, meanwhile, is planning to make an appearance at a breakfast fundraiser for the Republican Party of Virginia that Gingrich, former speaker of the House of Representatives, will headline at a hotel in western Henrico County.

“The governor knows the Speaker well, and he looks forward to stopping by this event,” said McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin. “Governor McDonnell believes the Speaker is running an energetic campaign, and he’s pleased to see him bringing that campaign to his home state of Virginia on Thursday.”