LIVE BLOG: Sanders sees strong showing in early WA caucus results

SEATTLE --  Democratic party caucuses saw large crowds across Washington state Saturday as party faithful and many new to the process turned out to have their voice heard in the Presidential nomination process.

>>REAL TIME RESULTS HERE<<

Bernie Sanders has won Washington's Democratic presidential caucuses after tens of thousands of people met at schools, libraries and community centers across the state.

There are 118 delegates at stake in Washington, with 101 to ultimately be awarded proportionally based on the results of Saturday's caucuses. The remaining 17 are technically unpledged party and elected leaders, though a majority of them — including Gov. Jay Inslee and the state's Congressional delegation — have already said they support frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

Both candidates spent time in Washington this past week, with Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, making several stops and Sanders packing huge rallies in Seattle and elsewhere.

Sanders, a senator from Vermont, had raised $2.6 million in Washington state, while Clinton has raised about $2 million

Saturday's gatherings will elect 27,170 delegates, proportionally allocated to each candidate. Those delegates will move on to the county and legislative district caucuses before being winnowed down at the congressional district caucuses and the state convention. Ultimately 101 delegates will be selected to go to the national convention.

Both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders held rallies in the state over the past week.