COLUMBIA, S.C. - Glenn Doty is proud to be a Howard Dean supporter and says he doesn't mind spending hour after hour working on behalf of the Democratic presidential contender who's risen to the top of many polls.

But Doty, a 28-year-old computer technician from Columbia, admits it takes a lot of effort to bolster support since Dean has no South Carolina headquarters and leaders for the volunteers, who mostly have found each other via the Internet, are hard to come by.

Doty said he is willing to purchase bumper stickers and buttons and hand them out as he canvasses his neighborhood because Dean trusts his troops to spread his message. And that, Doty says, is a refreshing change from past Democratic presidential hopefuls.

Volunteers like Doty are serving as representatives for Dean, who has begun running television and radio ads but hasn't been in South Carolina since May.

Dean's biggest rivals, meanwhile, have been crisscrossing the state for months. Sens. John Edwards, Joe Lieberman, John Kerry and Bob Graham as well as Rep. Dick Gephardt have set up camp with office space and paid staff heading into South Carolina's first-in-the-South primary on Feb. 3.

Despite entering the race just last week, organizers of retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark's campaign alerted the South Carolina Democratic Party that he has secured office space in Columbia, said Nu Wexler, the state party's executive director.

Dean's campaign manager Joe Trippi said the campaign expects to open a South Carolina office next month.

Trippi said Dean campaign officials have been skittish about investing in South Carolina since the state Democratic Party said it was starting from scratch to raise the estimated $500,000 needed to pay for the primary.

"Until recently, that was a concern," Trippi said. "Are you going to put a lot of time, a lot of people on the ground, run television ads and radio ads and then find out, oh, it's not going to happen the day you thought?"

Trippi said the campaign had to be careful with its limited resources.

But since his last visit to South Carolina in May, Dean has emerged from the pack as an early favorite with phenomenal fund-raising on the Internet. The surge has plumped his campaign coffers with cash and rallied a network of volunteers across the state and country.

Dean's campaign expects to break former President Clinton's Democratic record of raising $10.3 million in a single quarter when Dean announces his third quarter results, Trippi said.

"We think we can reach that this quarter, which gives us more resources in states like South Carolina, Arizona, Oklahoma - the next group of states," he said.

The South Carolina Democratic Party has encouraged Dean's campaign to step up its efforts in the state, assuring all candidates the primary will go on as planned Feb. 3.

If Dean opens a state headquarters, "he will send a message to South Carolina voters he intends to compete here," Wexler said.

A moderate by New England standards, the former Vermont governor is decidedly to the left in the presidential race. That has some political observers wondering whether Dean is largely bypassing South Carolina because the Democrat may question his appeal to voters in the more conservative South.

Others say Dean may not have too much trouble in South Carolina since his heavy campaigning in early voting states in the North have pushed him at or near the top of the polls.

"If Dean holds his lead in Iowa and New Hampshire, then he has a real shot to win in South Carolina even if he doesn't have an organization," said University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato, who specializes in presidential and Southern politics.

The latest poll shows Dean grouped at the top with Lieberman, Kerry and Edwards. Edwards, who's also put up ads here, currently resides in North Carolina but was born in Seneca and has staked his campaign on winning his native state.

"Dean's campaign is much more popular, participatory-based than the structured organizations of the others," said former Democratic National Committee Chairman Don Fowler of Columbia. "Given the nature of Dean's campaign, you wouldn't expect the same kind or the same style of organization."

However, Fowler said, Dean will have to show up more often in small states such as South Carolina if he expects to do well with voters. "South Carolinians like to see and know and touch their politicians, there's no question about that," he said.

"That's the strength that (former Sen.) Strom Thurmond and (Sen. Ernest) 'Fritz' Hollings have always had - they know everybody and everybody knows them," Fowler said. "They get support from people who are very much unlike themselves, ideologically or politically."

Republicans savor a chance to run President Bush against Dean.

"I think most people realize Dean is the front front-runner in the Democratic field right now, however, I think that's probably scaring some of the Democratic faithful," said Luke Byars, executive director of the South Carolina Republican Party. "We feel like we're in a pretty good situation against any of these guys, but Howard Dean does present some very unique opportunities in the general election."

Trippi said Dean wants to win in every state and he's counting on Doty and other volunteers.

Dean's "record in Vermont is really inspiring," said Doty, citing the former governor's plan to improve health care for children. "It's not just lip service."

Doty would welcome more help from the Dean campaign, though. "There is absolutely nothing easy about organizing your own event," he said.

Dean's state campaign chairman, state Rep. David Mack of North Charleston, said it will soon be evident just how strong the contest is here.

"There's no candidate that I know of taking South Carolina for granted," Mack said.