Former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and other well-known Kansas Democrats are working to see that Hillary Clinton wins the state’s presidential caucuses in what they acknowledge is a tough race against Bernie Sanders.

Party activists who gathered in Topeka for a recent two-day state convention said the Vermont senator’s was "organic," while Clinton’s allies said the former U.S. secretary of state’s experience and pragmatism were more likely to advance progressive goals on issues such as wages and health care.

Leading Democrats weren’t certain how Saturday’s caucuses would go. Among those staying neutral is Tom Witt, executive director of the gay-rights group Equality Kansas and a leading progressive activist.

"My sense is that it’s close," he said last week. "I don’t think it will be a blowout on either side."

Democrats are allocating 33 of their 37 national convention delegates during the presidential caucuses. The last four are party-leader superdelegates, who can endorse whomever they prefer.

On the GOP side, 40 convention delegates are in play on Saturday. Gov. Sam Brownback, U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts and other prominent Republicans are backing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, while many conservative activists are supporting Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Donald Trump received Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s endorsement Monday.

Rubio and Cruz supporters worry that they won’t be able to prevent a Trump victory, particularly if the billionaire New York businessman does well Tuesday in 11 other states’ primaries and caucuses.

Some Democrats also believe the tone and turnout in Kansas depends on how well Sanders does on Super Tuesday. During a Sanders rally last week in Kansas City, Missouri, potential caucus-goers from Kansas were drawn by his attacks on Wall Street, with some describing him as "genuine" and "the real deal."

"This is our one big shot to have a revolution," said Linda McCaughey, a 70-year-old retired horticulturalist from Overland Park. "And the young people, this is their one big chance to form a country that they’re going to inherit."

Kansas Democratic Party leaders were stunned in 2008 when more than 33,000 people participated in caucuses in February — three times as many as expected, in snowy weather — to give Barack Obama a sweeping victory over Clinton. But in 2008, Sebelius, a popular two-term governor, endorsed Obama just ahead of the caucuses.

This year, she has endorsed Clinton. Sebelius joined former Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis, the 2014 Democratic nominee for governor in Texas, in touting Clinton’s credentials at Kansas Democrats’ convention Saturday. Sebelius acknowledged a strong undercurrent of voter anger, but said she believes they ultimately will consider who can solve problems and "who represents the best of America."

"I’m always interested in not only in who can get elected but who can govern," said Sebelius, who served as Obama’s first health and human services secretary.

At the recent opening of Clinton’s campaign office in Lawrence, several Democratic voters expressed similar sentiments.

"What it comes down to at the end of the day is being realistic and being a pragmatist, and that’s what Hillary is," said Zoya Kahn, an 18-year-old University of Kansas student studying political science.

Clinton’s campaign has been organized in Kansas since April 2015, said state director Lauren Brainerd, who also worked on Obama’s campaigns in 2008 and 2012.

Sanders’ campaign was initially "self-organizing" in Kansas, motivated by what state director Shelby Iseler called a populist "grassroots revolution" of progressive voters.

"With Clinton, the name recognition alone is going to be an uphill battle," Sam Kramer, a 22-year-old criminal justice student from Overland Park, said while attending the Sanders rally in Kansas City. "But I think that it’s going to be in control of the young people who come up and all the people who are here now."