Barack Obama rolled to an easy victory Tuesday night in Kansas' Democratic presidential contest, his sign-waving and chanting supporters boosting an unexpectedly large turnout that overwhelmed some caucus sites.

With all the votes tabulated, Obama had captured 73 percent, compared with 25 percent for rival Hillary Rodham Clinton. Obama had given the Republican-leaning Sunflower State an unusual amount of attention and had picked up the endorsement of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

"He is bringing people into the process who have not participated before and who see him as a leader who is different," said Dan Watkins, a Lawrence attorney and the Obama campaign's senior Kansas adviser. "Tonight is a great example of that."

The caucuses gave Obama 23 of the state's 41 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, and three other official unpledged delegates, including Sebelius, have endorsed him, bringing his total to 26. Clinton won nine in the caucuses and had one endorsement, making her total 10. Five other delegates remained uncommitted.

Many of the Obama supporters who crowded the caucus sites said they were inspired by the Illinois senator. Some recalled the speech he gave to the Democratic National Convention in 2004 as a candidate for the U.S. Senate.

"I feel it is good to have a young voice, a fresh outlook," said Dahl Carmichael, a 45-year-old engineering technician who waited for an hour and 20 minutes in the cold to vote for Obama at a Wichita caucus.

Clinton's supporters, meanwhile, touted her experience. Donita Balusek, a 55-year-old social worker who cares for the mentally ill, said she supported Clinton because of her desire for universal health coverage.

"This time it was a hard decision," she said. "They both are very, very qualified candidates. I felt like Hillary had more of a track record."

Obama opened his Kansas headquarters in Lawrence in October, five months before the caucuses, and he eventually devoted 20 staff members to the state, compared with three for Clinton. The New York senator didn't open a Kansas headquarters until January.

Obama also came to Kansas last week for a rally in El Dorado, the hometown of his maternal grandfather. Sebelius appeared in a television commercial for him, broadcast in the Wichita market.

The governor, who caucused in the cafeteria of Robinson Middle School in Topeka, told about 900 fellow participants that Obama appeals to voters across party lines. She noted that 14 Democratic governors are from states President Bush carried in 2004.

"Barack Obama is the candidate who can put those states together at the presidential level," she said.

More than 33,000 people participated in the caucuses statewide, more than three times as many as party officials had predicted would show up. At the Topeka middle school caucus, organizers set up chairs for 350 people, and about 900 came.

Obama and Clinton supporters waved blue signs and tried to out-shout each other.

His supporters chanted "Yes, we can!" and hers answered, "We already have!"

"I'm very pleased," said Revenue Secretary Joan Wagnon, a member of Clinton's steering committee in Kansas. "We have a lot of folks, and they're good and noisy."

Dewayne Hughes, a 39-year-old delivery driver, said he supported Clinton because "she knows what she's doing." He said health care is an important issue to him because he doesn't have health insurance.

"They all say they can do something -- but hey, put your money where your mouth is," Hughes said. "She's put her money there -- time and effort."

But Obama supporters outnumbered Clinton's in the crowd by about 3-to-1.

"He's fresh. He's new. He's going to change the status quo," said Janet Radziejeski, a 54-year-old employee of Washburn University's bookstore.

Presidential candidates traditionally haven't had much incentive to campaign in Kansas because of the state's GOP heritage. Also, in the past, both state parties have waited as late as April to have caucuses or primaries and the nominations already were decided.

In 2004, Kansas Democrats caucused in mid-March, after John Kerry had clinched the nomination, and only about 1,300 participated.

A Democratic presidential candidate hasn't carried Kansas since Lyndon Johnson in 1964, and President Bush easily won the state twice. Only 27 percent of the state's voters are registered Democrats.

Still, some Democrats have prevailed in state races by wooing moderate Republicans and independent voters -- most notably Sebelius, who is serving her second term as governor.

Sebelius is one of eight so-called superdelegates, elected officials and party leaders who automatically are delegates to the Democratic National Convention no matter whom they support. The 41st delegate is an unpledged add-on who will be named later.

Besides Sebelius, Obama has received the endorsements of two other superdelegates, Lee Kinch and Randy Roy, who represent the state on the Democratic National Committee. Another superdelegate, Teresa Krusor, the state party's vice chairwoman, endorsed Clinton.