Washington - Illinois Senator Barack Obama and New York
Senator Hillary Clinton fought for the Democratic presidential
nomination for months. On Tuesday, Obama clinched the 2,118 delegates
needed to secure the nomination, becoming the first African American
to lead a major party in November general elections. Here is a look
back at the key events:
January 20, 2007: The former first lady officially announces her
candidacy. Early polls showed her with a wide lead over her main
competitors Barack Obama and John Edwards.
January 3, 2008: Obama wins the first primary in Iowa with 38 per
cent of the vote. Clinton comes in third with 29 per cent behind
Edwards, who won 30 per cent.
January 7: Clinton nearly cries at a campaign event, saying, 'It's
not easy,' in response to a question about how she was feeling. The
next day she surprisingly wins the New Hampshire primary with 39 per
cent of the vote. Obama, who had been favoured to win, receives 37
per cent.
January 19: The former first lady prevails in the Nevada primary
with 51 per cent of the vote compared with 45 per cent for Obama.
January 26: South Carolina delivers a clear win for Obama, with 55
per cent to 27 per cent for Clinton.
February 5: On Super Tuesday, Obama wins in 13 states, while
Clinton takes nine of more than 20 states holding primaries,
including California.
February 10: After Clinton loses to Obama in Nebraska, Louisiana,
Maine and in the state of Washington, her campaign manager Patti
Solis Doyle steps down. She is succeeded by Maggie Williams who was
Clinton's chief of staff during her years as first lady.
February 12: Obama wins in Virginia, Maryland and the capital city
of Washington. For the first time in the campaign he is ahead of
Clinton in the number of delegates to the Democratic Party
convention.
February 19: With victories in Wisconsin and Hawaii, Obama
succeeds in winning 10 primaries in a row. He outclasses Clinton with
double-digit percentage point winning margins in each state.
March 4: Clinton celebrates a comeback, winning the primaries in
Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island. Obama wins in Vermont and a concurrent
caucus in Texas. Clinton indicates she could imagine Obama as vice
president.
March 6: Campaign finance figures show Obama received 55 million
dollars in donations in February, Clinton 35 million dollars.
April 22: The large eastern state of Pennsylvania hands Clinton a
clear victory. She receives 55 per cent of the vote to her rival's
45.
May 6: Obama strengthens his chances with a win in North Carolina,
where he receives 56 per cent of the vote to Clinton's 42. In
Indiana, Clinton wins a razor-thin victory, finishing two percentage
points ahead of Obama.
May 12: Obama takes the lead in super delegates, the party leaders
and officials who vote independently of the elections. At the
beginning of the primaries, Clinton led in the super delegate count
by more than 100. Her campaign debts, meanwhile, amount to 20 million
dollars, according to US media reports.
May 13: After a clear victory in West Virginia, the senator
stresses that she's not considering ending her candidacy.
May 14: After months of hesitation Edwards, who quit the campaign
at the end of January, endorses Obama.
May 31: Party officials agree to give Florida and Michigan a voice
in the US presidential nomination process despite their disputed
January elections, but with only half their normal voting power in a
significant blow to the dwindling ambitions of Hillary Clinton for
the White House. She had done well in the states that were punished
for holding their votes earlier than party rules allowed.
June 1: Clinton wins the territory of Puerto Rico.
June 3: Obama secures the 2,118 delegates needed to become the
Democratic nominee, becoming the first African American to represent
a major party in November presidential elections. Clinton does not
concede defeat.
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