2004 U.S. Senate campaign

2004 U.S. Senate campaign
See also: United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004
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 by August 2002, and formally announced his candidacy in January 2003.[51] Decisions by Republican incumbent Peter Fitzgerald and his Democratic predecessor Carol Moseley Braun not to contest the race launched wide-open Democratic and Republican primary contests involving fifteen candidates.[52] Obama's candidacy was boosted by Axelrod's advertising campaign featuring images of the late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington and an endorsement by the daughter of the late Paul Simon, former U.S. Senator for Illinois.[53] In the March 2004 primary election, Obama won in an unexpected landslide—finishing with 53% of the vote in a seven candidate field, 29 percentage points ahead of the runner-up. Prompting the The New York Times to declare Obama an overnight rising star within the national Democratic Party, and started speculation about a presidential future.[54]

In July 2004, Obama wrote and delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts.[55] Though it was not televised by commercial broadcast television networks, a combined 9.1 million viewers saw Obama's speech, which was a highlight of the convention and elevated his status within the Democratic Party.[56]

Obama's expected opponent in the general election, Republican primary winner Jack Ryan, withdrew from the race in June 2004.[57] Two months later, Alan Keyes accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination to replace Ryan.[58] A long-time resident of Maryland, Keyes established legal residency in Illinois with the nomination.[59] In the November 2004 general election, Obama received 70% of the vote to Keyes' 27%, the largest victory margin for a statewide race in Illinois history.[60]