FACTBOX - Key dates in 2008 presidential campaign

(Reuters) - The U.S. presidential nominating contests for Democrats and Republicans begin this week. Here are some dates that will chart the course to the White House, ending with the election on November 4, 2008:

December 30: The last Sunday of worship ahead of caucuses in Iowa, a state with a large church-going population. Candidates will likely spend the day seeking support from the pulpits.

January 3: Iowa holds caucuses where voters go to meetings in their neighbourhoods and pledge their support for candidates. In the Democratic contest, a candidate must receive at least 15 percent support from voters to place.

January 4: U.S. Department of Labour issues the December 2007 employment report. This final report on the jobs picture for 2007 could give further indications of where the U.S. economy is headed amid growing concerns among voters it is veering toward a recession.

January 5: Republican and Democratic candidates hold separate debates in Manchester, New Hampshire, trying to make a final impression on voters just three days before they go to the polls in the state's primary vote.

January 8: New Hampshire holds its Democratic and Republican primary elections. Independent voters will be key because they can vote for either a Republican or a Democrat.

January 19: South Carolina Republicans vote in their primary contest, a state where Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain is looking to avenge his loss in 2000 to the current president, George W. Bush.

January 21: Democratic candidates debate in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, an event sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus and CNN, just five days before voters go to the polls.

January 26: South Carolina Democrats vote in their primary election.