Barack Obama Campaign Announcements

On February 10, 2007, United States Senator Barack Obama of Illinois announced his candidacy for President of the United States from the southeast lawn of the Old State Capitol before more than 15,000 people, saying that in Springfield, where north, south, east and west come together, he had been reminded of the essential decency of the American people and had come to believe that through this decency a more hopeful America could be built. Eighteen months later, on August 23, 2008, Obama returned to the Old State Capitol to announce that he had chosen Senator Joseph R. Biden of Delaware as his running mate, and Biden said that President Lincoln had instructed people to put their feet in the right place and stand firm, and that in Springfield he knew his feet were in the right place. On November 4, 2008, Obama was elected and became the first African American to serve as President of the United States. He served two full terms, from January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017. Biden, who served two terms as Obama's vice-president, was elected president in 2020.

Springfield, Illinois · United States