The Thompson Factor in W.Va.

And then there were five.

More than the rest of the departed GOP field combined, Fred Thompson's decision to withdraw from the Republican presidential race has an impact on West Virginia.

As The Associated Press reports, "The actor and former Tennessee senator had the third-largest bloc" of delegates heading to the state party's Feb. 5 convention.

Thompson picked up 50 of his 103 delegates in the recent voting to settle contested at-large seats. Additional gains were likely from late results due from Mineral and Monongalia counties, and as party officials fill vacancies.

Thompson had also raised more than $26,000 from West Virginians as of Sept. 30, the third largest total among Republican candidates despite his late entry in the race. (The fourth-quarter filing from 2007 is due at the end of the month).

And Thompson had attracted several notable Republican figures to his Mountain State effort. Led by former party Executive Director Gary Abernathy, they included a dozen lawmakers, at least five county chairs, anti-abortion lobbyist Melissa Adkins, former Young Republicans chief Charles Bolen and Greg Thomas, political operative for Don Blankenship.