Electoral history of Barack Obama Electoral history of Barack Obama Barack Obama served as the 44th President of the United States (2009–2017) and as a United States Senator from Illinois (2005–2008). Illinois Senate, 13th district, 1996 Illinois Senate, 13th district, 1998 US House, Illinois's 1st district, 2000 (Democratic primary), 2000 Illinois Senate, 13th district, 2002 Democratic primary for the United States Senate from Illinois, 2004 United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004 2008 Democratic presidential primaries Excluding penalized contests, only primary and caucuses votes: Including penalized contests: 2008 Democratic delegate counts: Pledged delegates Including superdelegates 2008 Democratic National Convention (Presidential tally) Unfinished roll call (13
Barack Obama election, Obama won with 70% of the vote. Obama was sworn in as a senator on January 3, 2005, becoming the only Senate member of the Congressional Black Caucus. "CQ Weekly" characterized him as a "loyal Democrat" based on analysis of all Senate votes from 2005 to 2007. Obama announced on November 13, 2008, that he would resign his Senate seat on November 16, 2008, before the start of the lame-duck session, to focus on his transition period for the presidency. A photo has emerged of then-Senator Obama standing with controversial Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan during a 2005