BUTTE - Both Senator Clinton and Senator Barack Obama spoke to Montanan's Saturday night at the Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner in Butte. The Montana Democratic Party Chairman says Saturday night's dinner was the biggest in history.

While the annual party fundraiser usually draws several hundred, Saturday night more than 4,000 people packed into the Butte Civic Center to hear the democratic candidates. "It's great to be where mike Mansfield once roamed the streets and went up the hill to work," Sen. Hillary Clinton said. This was an electrifying moment for Montana democrats.

Sen. Max Baucus said, "I've never seen anything like it. There's just so much excitement and you walk in and it's like wow!" The first time "ever" for two presidential hopefuls to visit the state at this point in a campaign is sparking a sense of efficacy among voters and the party faithful that Montana matters this election year.

Clinton and Obama both criticized the Iraq War and vowed to end it and shared similar comments on improving access to quality healthcare to more Americans and moving away from a dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Yet each candidate had tailor made messages for Montanans, including a vow from Obama to place a Native American in a high level post if he's elected.

"In order to have representatives in the highest levels of an Obama administration, it's time to make good on generations and generations of promises," Sen. Obama said. Clinton also reached out to tribal members in Montana. "We need to fully fund the Indian health service," said Clinton.

Though Clinton and Obama still have several states to battle over, neither seems to be taking it for granted that it could come down to the wire with Montana holding the last primary in the nation.

"We're going to build excitement here in Montana," Obama said. "Because by holding the last primary, the last best place is going to help choose the next president of the United States," said Clinton.

Making this an unprecedented chance to get Washington to listen to the west. While the tally isn't final, Democratic Party organizers estimate the night drew in more than $200,000 dollars.