RENTON, Wash. -- Democrats crowded into caucuses in schools, union halls and homes around Washington on Saturday, drawn by the tight race between New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

At Seattle Central Community College in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, one of the most liberal areas of the state, thousands of people streamed into a Democratic caucus site, spilling out into the halls and milling about in confusion.

Luis Santi, a 24-year-old art director at Microsoft, said he made up his mind to support Obama after hearing him speak at KeyArena on Friday.

"I felt a really good vibe and energy to it. Right now, you're picking a candidate based on character and integrity. The policies come later," Santi said.

In Yakima, 69-year-old Lucy Cates said she was supporting Clinton because of the former first lady's long support for health-care reform.

"It hurts when your health insurance goes up $50 a month like mine did last year and it went up again this year," said the retired switchboard operator and courier at the Yakima Training Center who sported two Hillary Clinton and a "Kick 'em out! Vote Democratic" buttons on a shoulder sling from recent surgery.

On the Republican side, where Arizona Sen. John McCain held a commanding lead over former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee going into Saturday's contests, early turnout was lighter.

Even in heavily Republican Lewis County, the Republican caucuses at W.F. West High School in Chehalis drew only about 15 people, compared to more than 160 at a Democratic caucus elsewhere in the school.

"The only choice is McCain," Maria Easley, a 40-year-old financial analyst from Chehalis, who was first to arrive with her 12-year-old-son Clay in tow. Like many Republicans, Easley isn't enthusiastic about McCain, a maverick known for bucking his own party. "McCain is a bit wishy-washy. I'm not sure where he stands from day-to-day. But I don't think that Huckabee can go the distance."

Over at the Democratic caucuses, area caucus coordinator Nancy Herzog, was ecstatic at the turnout.

"The Republican choice is fairly limited now. For the Democrats, we have two popular candidates."

Her 17-year-od daughter, Lisa, was caucusing for the first time, supporting Obama.

"It used to be hard being a Democrat in Lewis County," the younger Herzog said. "The Bush administration has made it easier."

Democrats will allocate all 78 of their elected national delegates through the caucuses, and Republicans will use results to allot about half of their 37 elected delegates.

The state also has a presidential primary on Feb. 19. Republicans will use the results to elect half of their national delegates, but Democrats view the primary as a nonbinding popularity contest.

Delegates were also at stake Saturday in the Louisiana primary, Democratic caucuses in Nebraska and the Virgin Islands, and Republican contests in Kansas and Guam.