Barack biography senator obama

Not to be confused with Illinois Senate career of Barack Obama.

The United States Senate career of Barack Obama began on January 3, , and ended on November 16, ^[1] A member of the Democratic Party from the state of Illinois, Obama previously served three terms in the Illinois Senate from to He resigned his seat in the U.S.

Senate upon being elected President of the United States.

Obama won the seat in an election against Alan Keyes who replaced Republican Primary election winner Jack Ryan.

Barack biography senator obama

Prior to his election but after Ryan withdrew from the race, he rose to national prominence by delivering the Democratic National Convention keynote address. Upon his election, he became the fifth African-American Senator in U.S.

history, the third to have been popularly elected.

As a Senator, Obama served on a variety of committees and chaired the United States Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs. His bill sponsorship and