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March 28, 2024

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Barack Obama

Barack Obama shakes hands with supporters Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008, at Cashman Field in Las Vegas.

Photo by Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun

Barack Obama shakes hands with supporters Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008, at Cashman Field in Las Vegas.

Biographical information | Issues | Latest campaign news


U.S. Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, carrying a message of change and an inspiring speaking style that brought thousands to his campaign rallies, battled through the state primaries earlier this year to eventually win the Democratic nomination for president — making history as the first African-American to do so.

Obama picked as his running mate fellow U.S. senator Joe Biden of Deleware. Biden was an early presidential rival to Obama, but dropped out after the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses when he got only 2 percent of the delegates.

However, Biden has had to eat some of his early criticisms of Obama, including a debate statement that Obama was too inexperienced to be president. (See YouTube video.)

NEVADA CAUCUS — Obama made several trips to Nevada during the primary season and won the endorsement of the powerful Culinary union. However, Nevada Democrats didn't immediately embrace Obama — he lost the first round of the Nevada caucuses on Jan. 19 to Hillary Clinton. (See the Sun's extensive coverage.)

But by the time the final numbers rolled in, Obama finally won the majority of Nevada's state delegates — and enough delegates overall to beat Clinton and secure the Democratic nomination.

WINNING THE WEST — After the grueling primary battle, a team of Sun journalists took a "Winning the West" road trip in August through the Southwest on the way to the Democratic and Republican national conventions. (See stories, videos, photos and blogs.)

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION — At the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Obama brought olive branches to Clinton supporters, enlisting the Clintons to try to put some salve on the deep wounds that the slashing, sometimes ugly primary battles had brought to the party. (See the Sun's team coverage.)

Since that time, Obama has continued his message of change, saying that Republican presidential nominee John McCain represents the same type of Republican leadership that allowed the Wall Street meltdown to happen. He took swings at McCain during a September visit to Las Vegas.

Archive highlights

Barack Obama - bio information

Mon, Aug 25, 2008

Barack Obama's bio information.

Barack Obama on the issues

Mon, Oct 6, 2008

The following are Barack Obama's positions on selected issues.

All stories

In nod to unions, senator's guest for speech is IBEW electrician from Nevada

Thu, Mar 7, 2024

Melenie Zavala, who is involved with IBEW Local 357’s political organizing efforts, was selected to join U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., for ...

Young voters cast ballots for Biden with Nevada primary today

Tue, Feb 6, 2024

Today marks the last day of voting in Nevada’s first-ever Democratic presidential preference primary. The state had mostly used caucuses as the means for picking major party presidential nominees until ...

Biden making campaign stop Sunday in Las Vegas

Fri, Feb 2, 2024

President Joe Biden will be making a campaign stop in Las Vegas’ Historic West Side on Sunday, just two days before the last day of voting for Nevada’s first ever ...

Biden on UNLV shooting: 'We can never let it become normal”

Fri, Dec 8, 2023

As President Joe Biden headed to Las Vegas today, his press secretary again expressed condolences to those impacted by Wednesday’s fatal shooting at UNLV and called for more action to ...

Biden stops in Las Vegas to tout high-speed rail project

Fri, Dec 8, 2023

President Joe Biden has arrived in Las Vegas, where he is set to deliver remarks today about a new light rail project linking Southern Nevada and the Los Angeles area. ...

President Biden to make brief stop in Las Vegas this week

Tue, Dec 5, 2023

President Joe Biden will be in Las Vegas for a few hours Friday en route to a campaign reception in Los Angeles later in the day, according to the White ...

Biden goes west for his second vacation of the month

Fri, Aug 18, 2023

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are heading west on Friday for more rest and relaxation. The first couple will spend about a week in the area of ...

Yellen, in Las Vegas, sings praises of Inflation Reduction Act success

Tue, Aug 15, 2023

The economic upshot in Nevada and across the nation appears bright, as climate and infrastructure projects bolstered by President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act begin to take root, U.S. Treasury ...

Nevada senator plays key role as White House battles emerging xylazine threat

Sun, Jul 16, 2023

President Joe Biden’s administration is deploying a whole-of-government approach to stem a nationwide trend of illicit fentanyl being combined with a powerful animal sedative ...

As Biden goes after ‘junk fees,’ Nevadans in Congress leap to resorts’ defense

Sun, Feb 12, 2023

Democrats in Nevada’s congressional delegation say they support President Joe Biden’s bid to outlaw so-called “junk fees” that can translate into higher costs for American consumers.

Biden tours beach town damaged by massive California storms

Thu, Jan 19, 2023

President Joe Biden walked along the splintered boardwalk of this picture-postcard beach town Thursday and heard from business owners struggling to ...

Southern Nevada’s Spirit Mountain to win protection with U.S. initiative

Thu, Dec 1, 2022

ome 450,000 acres of land around Searchlight that is culturally significant to Native American tribes is being designated as a national monument by the federal government, signaling a win for ...

Biden’s loan forgiveness reaches all corners of Nevada

Tue, Aug 30, 2022

When news broke last week of the Biden administration’s plans to eliminate up to $20,000 in federal student debt for millions of borrowers, UNLV graduate student Nicole Platt shrugged it ...

High-speed internet in spotlight for Democrats in Nevada, nationwide

Sun, Jul 24, 2022

High-ranking Democrats are making a big deal about expanding access to and affordability of high-speed internet in Nevada and elsewhere, and they’ll continue to highlight the issue this week with ...

Biden tests positive for COVID-19, has 'very mild symptoms'

Thu, Jul 21, 2022

President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and went into isolation with mild symptoms. White House officials went all-out to show that the 79-year-old U.S. leader could ...

Videos

Obama Rally at Cashman
Obama Rally at Cashman
Barack Obama spoke at a rally at Cashman Field in North Las Vegas on Wednesday ...
Presidential Candidates on Health Care
Presidential Candidates on Health Care
With the latest scandal or character attack dominating most of today's political headlines, many voters ...
Albuquerque Ladies' Man
Albuquerque Ladies' Man
Barack Obama answers questions from a group of Albuquerque women. Topics range from health care, ...
Reality Check: Barack Obama's Campaign Advertisement
Reality Check: Barack Obama's Campaign Advertisement
Jon puts presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's new campaign ad through a Reality Check.

Slideshows

Obama speaks at Cashman Center
Barack Obama speaks to supporters Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008, at Cashman Center in Las Vegas. ...
Obama's moment
Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination at Denver's Mile High Stadium.
Obama in Vegas
On Sunday, Jan. 13, presidential candidate Barack Obama visited Las Vegas, making a stop at ...
Obama in Nevada
On Friday, Jan. 11, presidential candidate Barack Obama visited Las Vegas, making stops at the ...