Barack Obama

===2004 U.S. Senate campaign===
{{Main|2004 United States Senate election in Illinois}}

In May 2002, Obama commissioned a poll to assess his prospects in a 2004 U.S. Senate race. He created a campaign committee, began raising funds, and lined up political media consultant [[David Axelrod (political consultant)|David Axelrod]] by August 2002. Obama formally announced his candidacy in January 2003.<ref>{{cite news |last = Helman |first = Scott |date = October 12, 2007 |title = Early defeat launched a rapid political climb |newspaper = [[The Boston Globe]] |page = 1A |url = https://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/12/early_defeat_launched_a_rapid_political_climb |access-date = April 13, 2008 |archive-date = October 12, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071012215244/http://boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/10/12/early_defeat_launched_a_rapid_political_climb/ |url-status = live }}</ref>

Obama was an early opponent of the George W. Bush administration's [[2003 invasion of Iraq]].<ref>{{cite news |last = Strausberg |first = Chinta |date = September 26, 2002 |title = Opposition to war mounts |newspaper = Chicago Defender |page = 1 |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-220062931.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511195931/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-220062931.html |url-status=dead |archive-date = May 11, 2011 |format = paid archive |access-date = February 3, 2008 }}</ref> On October 2, 2002, the day President Bush and Congress agreed on the [[Iraq Resolution|joint resolution]] authorizing the [[Iraq War]],<ref name="Rose Garden" /> Obama addressed the first high-profile Chicago [[Protests against the Iraq War|anti-Iraq War rally]],<ref name="Federal Plaza" /> and spoke out against the war.<ref name="spoke out" /> He addressed another anti-war rally in March 2003 and told the crowd "it's not too late" to stop the war.<ref name="stop the war" />

Decisions by Republican incumbent [[Peter Fitzgerald (politician)|Peter Fitzgerald]] and his Democratic predecessor [[Carol Moseley Braun]] not to participate in the election resulted in wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving 15 candidates.<ref>{{cite news |last = Davey |first = Monica |date = March 7, 2004 |title = Closely watched Illinois Senate race attracts 7 candidates in millionaire range |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/07/politics/campaign/07ILLI.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416015834/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/07/politics/campaign/07ILLI.html|archive-date=April 16, 2009 |newspaper = [[The New York Times]] |page = 19 |access-date = April 13, 2008 }}</ref> In the March 2004 primary election, Obama won in an unexpected landslide—which overnight made him a rising star within the [[Democratic National Committee|national Democratic Party]], started speculation about a presidential future, and led to the reissue of his memoir, ''Dreams from My Father''.<ref name="future" /> In July 2004, Obama delivered [[2004 Democratic National Convention keynote address|the keynote address]] at the [[2004 Democratic National Convention]],<ref>{{cite news |last = Bernstein |first = David |date = June 2007 |title = The Speech |magazine = Chicago Magazine |url = http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2007/The-Speech |access-date = April 13, 2008 |archive-date = June 14, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080614213455/http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/June-2007/The-Speech/ |url-status = live }}</ref> seen by nine million viewers. His speech was well received and elevated his status within the Democratic Party.<ref name="status" />

Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner [[Jack Ryan (politician)|Jack Ryan]], withdrew from the race in June 2004.<ref>{{cite news |date = June 25, 2004 |title = Ryan drops out of Senate race in Illinois |publisher = CNN |url = http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/25/il.ryan/ |access-date = May 18, 2012 |archive-date = January 8, 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180108042942/http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/25/il.ryan/ |url-status = live }}
* Mendell (2007), pp. 260–271.</ref> Six weeks later, [[Alan Keyes]] accepted the Republican nomination to replace Ryan.<ref>{{cite news |last = Lannan |first = Maura Kelly |agency = Associated Press |date = August 9, 2004 |title = Alan Keyes enters U.S. Senate race in Illinois against rising Democratic star |newspaper = [[The San Diego Union-Tribune]] |url=http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20040809-0849-illinoissenate.html |access-date = April 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214115053/http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20040809-0849-illinoissenate.html |archive-date = December 14, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the [[2004 United States Senate election in Illinois|November 2004 general election]], Obama won with 70 percent of the vote, the largest margin of victory for a Senate candidate in Illinois history.<ref name="margin" /> He took 92 of the state's 102 counties, including several where Democrats traditionally do not do well.