LEWISTON – At noon, the Lewiston High School cafeteria was comfortably crowded. Side by side, supporters for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama stumped for their candidates in a room dotted with campaign signs whose messages and slogans bore uncanny resemblance to one another. By 2 p.m., caucus committee leaders struggled to quiet a chattering crowd that had swelled to nearly 900 people of all ages, races and walks of life.

It was a similar story in town halls, public libraries and school cafeterias across Maine as more than 40,000 people braved bad weather to make their voices known in what suddenly became one of the most critical Democratic caucuses thus far – at least for the day.

“It’s not really a campaign. It’s a movement,” said retired elementary school teacher Roland Hachey, 61, of Lewiston.

At the end of the day, Mainers moved Obama forward, giving him 15 national delegates to Clinton’s nine. In a race where every delegate counts, his 59-percent-to-41-percent win in Maine’s binding presidential caucus brought the junior senator to within 20 delegates of the former first lady.

Clinton’s stumping in Lewiston on Saturday paid off as the senator from New York won 44 delegates to Obama’s 41 delegates in the citywide caucus and 118 delegates to 104 overall in Androscoggin County.

Nancy Perry, who was in charge of convening the Lewiston caucus, said organizers were overwhelmed by the number of people who came out to make their voices heard. In fact, voter registration was supposed to end at 1 p.m., but continued until 2 p.m. due to the number of people still waiting in line.

“They kept telling us we were going to have a big crowd because everybody is so energized this year,” Perry said as she looked out over the crowd. “It’s an amazing sight to see.”

For many, deciding between the two formidable opponents remained difficult right up until the last minute.

“I’m looking for someone to persuade me either way,” said 17-year-old Emily Parent, a senior at Lewiston High School participating in the presidential election process for the first time. “It’s a really important election. It could be a turning point for our country and we want to have a say in it.”

Parent came to Sunday’s caucus with fellow high school seniors – 18-year-old twins Julia and Audrey Bergeron – and their mother, Claudeen Bergeron, 44. As the crowd occupied every available nook and cranny around the room, the group continued to debate amongst themselves which Democratic candidate could best lead the charge against Republican front-runner Sen. John McCain.

“I find her very hard working. She’s a very experienced policy maker,” Claudeen Bergeron said of Clinton. “I really feel that the 16 years she’s been involved in Washington that she’s been able to survive all the times that she’s been vilified.”

Arden Manning, executive director of the Maine Democratic Party, said Sunday’s turnout of nearly 45,000 was more than double the 2004 record of 17,000 voters. For him, the strong showing among Maine Democrats – especially young voters – signals a turning of the tide in America’s political landscape.

“There’s a very clear message here,” Manning said. “The Maine people are ready for something different. They’ve seen what eight years of Republican leadership looks like and they want a change.”

A large contingent of Bates College students – representing home states from around the country – lined up out the door to register as Maine voters at the caucus. For some, Hillary Clinton captured their hearts. For others, Barack Obama challenged their minds. Regardless of which candidate walked away a winner, they viewed the Democratic Party as the choice to usher in America’s future.

“Everybody’s pretty ready for a new president – one who can make changes and not polarize the country,” said Sarah Hoyt, a 21-year-old Bates College senior from Concord, Mass. “For us, we’re graduating. It’s scary to think about the world we’re going into.”

Androscoggin County Democratic delegate breakdown

County-wide

Sen. Hillary Clinton – 118

Sen. Barack Obama – 104

Uncommitted – 3

Auburn

Clinton – 22

Obama – 28

Durham

Clinton – 4

Obama – 4

Greene

Clinton – 5

Obama – 3

Leeds

Clinton – 2

Obama – 3

Lewiston

Clinton – 44

Obama – 41

Lisbon

Clinton – 11

Obama – 5

Uncommitted – 2

Livermore

Clinton – 4

Obama – 2

Livermore Falls

Clinton – 4

Obama – 2

Mechanic Falls

Clinton – 2

Obama – 3

Minot

Clinton – 3

Obama – 1

Poland

Clinton – 6

Obama – 5

Sabattus

Clinton – 6

Obama – 2

Turner

Clinton – 4

Obama – 4

Uncommitted – 1

Wales

Clinton – 1

Obama – 1