Electoral history of Barack Obama

Senator Obama on the presidential campaign trail

This article is part of a series about Barack Obama
Political positions Electoral history Early life and career Family Public image Honors Pre-presidency Illinois State Senator 2004 DNC keynote address U.S. Senator from Illinois sponsored bills 44th President of the United States Presidency timeline Transition Inaugurations first second Policies Economy Energy Foreign policy Europe East Asia Middle East South Asia Obama Doctrine foreign trips Pardons Social Space Appointments Cabinet Judiciary First term First 100 days Recovery Act Russia nuclear treaty Affordable Care Act Dodd–Frank Iraq withdrawal Killing of Osama bin Laden Libya intervention Afghanistan withdrawal Benghazi attack Timeline '09 '10 '11 '12 Second term Anti-ISIL campaign Iraq Syria Iran nuclear deal Cuban thaw Sanctions against Russia Selma 50th anniversary speech Obergefell v. Hodges Paris Agreement Kunduz hospital airstrike Failed nomination of Merrick Garland Timeline '13 '14 '15 '16–'17 Presidential campaigns 2008 primaries convention debates election 2012 primaries convention debates election reactions Post-presidency Planned presidential library Obama Foundation One America Appeal Dreams from My Father The Audacity of Hope A Promised Land Nobel Peace Prize Others Thanks, Obama
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This is the electoral history of Barack Obama. Obama served as the 44th president of the United States (2009–2017) and as a United States senator from Illinois (2005–2008).

A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was first elected to the Illinois Senate in 1996 representing the 13th district, which covered much of the Chicago South Side. In 2000, Obama ran an unsuccessful campaign for Illinois's 1st congressional district against four-term incumbent Bobby Rush. In 2004, Obama campaigned for the U.S. Senate, participating in the first Senate election in which both major party candidates were African American, the other being Alan Keyes. Obama won the election, gaining a seat previously held by a Republican.

In 2008, Obama entered the Democratic primaries for the U.S. presidential election. Numerous candidates entered initially, but over time the field narrowed down to Obama and Senator Hillary Clinton from New York. The contest was highly competitive between the two, with neither being able to reach a majority of delegates without the addition of unpledged delegates. Eventually, Clinton ended her campaign, endorsing Obama for the nomination, prompting his victory. He went on to face Senator John McCain from Arizona as the Republican nominee, defeating him with 365 electoral votes to McCain's 173.

Obama sought re-election for a second term in 2012, running virtually unopposed in the Democratic primaries. His opponent in the general election was former governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney. Obama won 332 electoral votes, defeating Romney who gained 206. After this election, he became the first president since Ronald Reagan to receive a majority of the popular vote twice.

Illinois Senate and United States House of Representatives elections (1996–2002)[]

United States Senate election (2004)[]

Presidential primaries (2008)[]

First-instance vote by state and territory

Barack Obama (33)   Hillary Clinton (23)

First-instance vote by county

Barack Obama   Hillary Clinton   John Edwards   Tie   No results

Popular vote[]

Excluding penalized contests,^[1] only primary and caucuses votes:

Including penalized contests:

Delegate counts[]

2008 Democratic National Convention (Presidential tally)

• Barack Obama - chosen by acclamation

Unfinished roll call (13 states, D.C. Guam, American Samoa and Democrats Abroad):

• Hillary Clinton - 1,011 (24.07%)

Other results[]

2008 United States presidential election[]

Electoral college map of the 2008 election
Obama: 365 votes (28 states + DC + NE-02)
McCain: 173 votes (22 states)

2012 United States presidential election[]

Electoral college map of the 2012 election
Obama: 332 votes (26 states + DC)
Romney: 206 votes (24 states)

References[]