Key Arena was packed beyond its 18,000 person capacity by 11 a.m. Friday as Barack Obama supporters, some of whom skipped school to attend the event, filled seats, sat on stairs, and stood to hear the 46-year-old Hawaiian-born U.S. senator’s presidential campaign speech.

Sen. Obama’s visit to Seattle came just hours after fellow Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton stopped by the Emerald City and spoke to a sold-out crowd of 5,000 at Pier 32 Thursday night.

Spectators waited for hours and listened to pre-recorded Obama sound bites and Vietnam-era up-beat music.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, Rep. Adam Smith and Gov. Christine Gregoire took to the stage to endorse Obama for the presidential nomination.

Obama’s entrance was greeted with booming cheers, shouts and applause. One participant audibly shouted, “I love you,” to which Obama replied “And I love you back,” prompting a roar of applause and crowd accolades.

The freshman Illinois senator explained his campaign proposals for universal health care, higher education subsidies and an “end to the Iraq war.”

Once considered a no-name presidential candidate by many, Obama accrued many Democratic Party nomination convention delegates in state caucuses and primary races over the past month.

“Change happens from the bottom up,” he said throughout his speech.

Obama’s self-assured character and novel ideas are what drew Diana Pearce, a senior lecturer in the UW School of Social Work, to support his grassroots campaign.

“Hillary is incredibly smart and incredibly capable, but Obama really knows what he’s about,” she said. “He’s much more centered [than Clinton].”

Obama failed to maintain the energy and excitement among crowd members throughout his entire speech but was greeted farewell by attendees with another thunderous applause.

The final total of attendees was 21,000, by far the largest campaign rally Washington state has seen so far in this election race.

The Democrats will choose their candidate in Denver this August.

[Reach reporter Jake Sommer at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]