Timeline of the 2008 United States presidential election

Timeline of the 2008 United States presidential election

← 2004 November 4, 2008 2012 →

The following is a timeline of major events leading up to and immediately following the United States presidential election of 2008. The election was the 56th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008, but its significant events and background date back to about 2002. The Democratic Party nominee, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, defeated the Republican Party's nominee, Senator John McCain of Arizona.

2002

October 2002

2003

November 2003

  • November 27 – In an interview with the German magazine Bunte, Hillary Clinton states that she will not be a candidate for the presidency in 2004, and when told that some were disappointed with that decision, replies "I know. Well, perhaps I'll do it next time around." This is interpreted to mean that she will consider a run in the 2008 race, if the 2004 Democratic nominee is unsuccessful.

2004

July 2004

November 2004

  • November 2 – President George W. Bush wins re-election defeating Senator John Kerry in the 2004 United States presidential election.
  • November 9 – Following John Kerry's loss in the 2004 election, Cameron Kerry, John Kerry's brother and political confidante states in regards to another presidential run "That's conceivable... I don't know why that [last week's loss] should necessarily be it. I think it's too early to assess. But I think that he is going to continue to fight on for the values, ideals, and issues this campaign is about."

2005

February 2005

2006

March 2006

Mike Gravel at the launch of his presidential campaign

April 2006

May 2006

October 2006

  • October 12 – Former Democratic Governor of Virginia Mark Warner states that he will not seek the presidency in 2008.
  • October 22 – Despite having stated that "I can unequivocally say I will not be running for national office in four years", Senator Barack Obama of Illinois states in relation to a presidential run "I don't want to be coy about this: given the responses that I've been getting over the last several months, I have thought about the possibility, but I have not thought about it with the seriousness and depth that I think is required ... After November 7, I'll sit down and consider, and if at some point I change my mind, I will make a public announcement and everybody will be able to go at me."
  • October 30 – Massachusetts Senator John Kerry makes a "botched joke" about education and the Iraq War, which dominates the news for several days. Republican Representative Duncan Hunter of California announces the formation of an exploratory committee for a presidential run.

November 2006

December 2006

2007

January 2007

Chris Dodd speaks at a Service Employees International Union event, January 21, 2007.

February 2007

Dennis and Elizabeth Kucinich in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, February 4, 2007

March 2007

Bill Richardson at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Presidential Health Care Forum, March 2007

April 2007

John McCain announces his presidential candidacy in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, April 25, 2007.

May 2007

June 2007

July 2007

August 2007

Fred Thompson is interviewed by Eleanor Mondale at the Minnesota State Fair, August 27, 2007.
  • August 4YearlyKos holds its Presidential Leadership Forum, which is attended by seven of the eight Democratic candidates.
  • August 5 – A Republican debate is hosted by ABC News in Des Moines, Iowa.
  • August 7MSNBC and the AFL–CIO host a Democratic debate over labor issues in Chicago, Illinois.
  • August 9 – The Human Rights Campaign sponsors a Democratic forum on LGBT issues in Los Angeles.
  • August 11 – The Ames Straw Poll is won by Mitt Romney, with 31.5 percent of the vote. 14,302 ballots are cast.
  • August 12Tommy Thompson announces that he is dropping out of the race for the Republican nomination due to a poor showing in the Ames Straw Poll.
  • August 16 – Mitt Romney wins the Illinois State Fair's Republican straw poll, with 40.5 percent of the vote. 922 votes are cast.
  • August 19 – A Democratic debate is hosted by ABC in Des Moines, Iowa.

September 2007

Mitt Romney at a Labor Day parade in Milford, New Hampshire, September 1, 2007

October 2007

Mike Huckabee speaking in Southern California, October 2007

November 2007

December 2007

Barack and Michelle Obama campaign with Oprah Winfrey, December 10, 2007.

2008

January 2008

Rudy Giuliani in Derry, New Hampshire, January 7, 2008
John Edwards announces his withdrawal from the Democratic race in New Orleans, January 30, 2008.

February 2008

Hillary Clinton in Lorain, Ohio, February 2008

March 2008

Hillary Clinton attends a St. Patrick's Day parade in Pittsburgh with Catherine Baker Knoll and Luke Ravenstahl. March 15, 2008.

April 2008

Ron Paul speaks at the University of Pittsburgh, April 3, 2008.

May 2008

June 2008

Barack and Michelle Obama onstage after Obama becomes the presumptive Democratic nominee, June 3, 2008
John McCain at a campaign rally in Kenner, Louisiana, June 4, 2008

July 2008

August 2008

Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts speaks at the Democratic National Convention, August 25, 2008

September 2008

Sarah Palin speaks at the Republican National Convention, September 3, 2008
John McCain and Sarah Palin onstage with Todd Palin, Cindy McCain and Robert Duvall in Albuquerque, New Mexico, September 6, 2008

October 2008

November 2008

President-elect Barack Obama gives his election victory speech, November 4, 2008.

December 2008

  • December 5 – The Supreme Court of the United States meets to decide whether to rule on President-elect Barack Obama's eligibility to take office.
  • December 8 – The Supreme Court declines to rule on President-elect Obama's eligibility to take office.
  • December 15 – Each state's presidential electors meet in their respective state capitals and the District of Columbia to officially elect Barack Obama as president and Joe Biden as vice president.

2009

January

Election campaign 2008 candidate participation timeline

Candidate announcement and, if applicable, withdrawal dates are as follows:

Bob Barr 2008 presidential campaignChuck Baldwin 2008 presidential campaignRalph Nader 2008 presidential campaignCynthia McKinney 2008 presidential campaignAlan Keyes#2008 Presidential electionAlan Keyes#2008 Presidential electionAlan Keyes#2008 Presidential electionFred Thompson 2008 presidential campaignJim Gilmore 2008 presidential campaignTom Tancredo 2008 presidential campaignTommy Thompson 2008 presidential campaignRon Paul 2008 presidential campaignJohn McCain 2008 presidential campaignMitt Romney 2008 presidential campaignBarack Obama 2008 presidential campaignRudy Giuliani 2008 presidential campaignJoe Biden 2008 presidential campaignMike Huckabee 2008 presidential campaignDuncan Hunter 2008 presidential campaignBill Richardson 2008 presidential campaignHillary Clinton 2008 presidential campaignChris Dodd 2008 presidential campaignJohn Edwards 2008 presidential campaignDennis Kucinich 2008 presidential campaignSam Brownback#2008 presidential campaignEvan Bayh 2008 presidential campaignTom Vilsack 2008 presidential campaignMike Gravel 2008 presidential campaignMike Gravel 2008 presidential campaign

See also


This page was last updated at 2023-04-30 19:15 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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