Idaho caucus showing shatters records

BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) -- It looked like Midtown Manhattan at rush hour.

But it was downtown Boise, Idaho and the thousands of people crowding the sidewalks Tuesday were waiting to get into the Democratic caucus at Boise Centre and CenturyLink Area.

"This is the first time I've done this. I'm excited," said Katie Crooks of Boise. "I'm ready for a long night. I brought coffee."

The caucus in Ada County was delayed some two hours to accommodate the crowd and ballots were handed out to people in line so everyone could vote.

The Idaho Democratic Party says 24,000 people took part in the caucus statewide, and 9,000 people participated here in Ada County.

Bernie Sanders won Idaho's Democratic caucus.

Sanders and Hillary Clinton were vying for the state's 27 delegates to the party's national convention in Philadelphia this summer.

And while Idaho is one of the most conservative states in the nation, having not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since Lyndon Johnson in 1964, Sanders actively courted voters here.

He had campaign rallies in eastern Idaho as well as Boise.

Whether Democrats should switch to a primary election because of caucus delays will be a major consideration in their after action report.

"Certainly as we move forward, we're going be talking about how everybody can participate, and have their voice heard," said party spokesman Dean Ferguson.

Sure, some grumbled about the wait.

But most people we talked to were just glad to see so many Democrats come together in this Republican stronghold.