SEATTLE -- Bernie Sanders won a landslide victory in Washington's Democratic caucuses Saturday, beating rival Hillary Clinton by a 3-to-1 margin.
Heavy turnout overwhelmed some caucus locations and sent participants spilling into parking lots and parks to complete voting on the sunny spring day. State Democratic Party officials said the caucuses could reach 2008's record turnout of 250,000.
By midafternoon, Sanders led with 76 percent of the statewide delegate count, compared with 24 percent for Clinton, with 31 percent of precincts reporting. The Associated Press called the race at 3:28 p.m. PDT.
From midmorning on, reports rolled in all over Washington that Sanders was winning in a romp and was likely to grab the lion's share of 101 pledged delegates up for grabs based on the results. He was declared the winner in Alaska's caucuses by a wide margin. Hawaii Democrats also were holding caucuses Saturday.
"We knew things were going to improve when we headed west," Sanders told a jubilant crowd at a campaign rally in Madison, Wis., as the results were announced.
While trailing Clinton overall, Sanders said "we have a path towards victory," and said it was "hard for anyone to deny that our campaign has the momentum."
Sanders had counted on high turnout to propel him to a badly needed victory to stay viable in the Democratic contest with Clinton. Sanders held five rallies in the state over the past week, ending with a speech to 15,000 supporters at Seattle's Safeco Field Friday night.
Clinton also campaigned in Washington on Tuesday, but she held smaller events and did not try to match Sanders' barrage of TV and radio ads. Her advisers conceded she was likely to lose in Washington but hoped to walk away with a share of delegates.
The apparent win by Sanders went against the support of top elected Democrats who largely backed Clinton. From Bainbridge Island, Gov. Jay Inslee posted a "selfie" on Facebook of he and his wife Trudi, who both caucused for Clinton.
"We have two great candidates, but I was proud to caucus for Hillary Clinton today ... It was energizing to see so many Democrats passionate and engaged in electing a Democrat this November and beating Donald Trump," Inslee wrote.
In hundreds of schools, libraries and community centers across the state, neighbors engaged in passionate debates over the merits of Clinton versus Sanders.
A few minutes before the end of a Seattle caucus at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary, a small crowd gathered around two undecided voters, Annie Kunkel and Hana Peoples, each of whom had the power to break a 21-21 tie in one precinct.
"I hear your argument about Hillary being a woman," Kunkel told a woman trying to sway her. "My whole life I've waited for that opportunity."
At the last second, though, Kunkel cast her vote for Sanders. Just as President Barack Obama had made people believe in hope, even if Sanders couldn't accomplish everything he wanted, Sanders was making people believe that "what's in your heart matters," she said.
Peoples, in contrast, could not be moved in any direction. A 22-year-old student at the University of Washington, she said she wasn't convinced either candidate was looking out for students of color.
"Even at this caucus, not a lot of people look like me," said Peoples, who is of African-American and Japanese descent.
While the caucus was located in the racially diverse but gentrifying Rainier Valley, most of those who turned out were white.
At Edmonds-Woodway High School in Snohomish County, Marian Squibb, 90, was the first caucusgoer to show up. She parked her car at 8 a.m. after a short drive from her retirement home.
"My husband and I always voted Republican," she said. "This is my first time ever (caucusing as a Democrat)."
Squibb, who was leaning toward Sanders, said her adult children are Democrats and were surprised when they heard she'd be turning blue for the weekend.
"I've been getting a little concerned about religion in politics on the Republican side," she said. "And I don't care for the Republican candidates this time around. Trump, he's the worst. His language, he shouldn't be using it."
Squibb wore a special T-shirt for her first brush with the Democratic Party. It read, "I'm going on an adventure."