United States presidential election, 2008 timeline

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This article or section contains information about an upcoming or ongoing election in the United States. Content may change as the election approaches.

The following is a timeline of events leading up to the upcoming 2008 U.S. presidential election:

Contents 1 2002 2 2003 3 2004 4 2005 5 2006 5.1 October 2006 5.2 November 2006 5.3 December 2006 6 2007 6.1 State of nomination races at beginning of 2007 6.2 January 2007 6.3 February 2007 6.4 March 2007 6.5 State of the race at the start of the second quarter, 2007 6.6 April 2007 6.7 May 2007 6.8 June 2007 6.9 State of the race at the start of the third quarter, 2007 6.10 July 2007 6.11 August 2007 6.12 September 2007 6.13 State of the race at the start of the final quarter, 2007 6.14 October 2007 6.15 November 2007 6.16 December 2007 7 2008 7.1 State of the race at the beginning of 2008 7.2 The Early Primaries: January 1 to February 4, 2008 7.3 February 5, 2008 - Super Tuesday or National Primary Day 7.4 State of the race at the halfway point 7.5 The rest of February 2008 7.6 March 2008 7.7 The State of the race at the start of "Spring Break" 7.8 March 2008 continued 7.9 April 2008 7.10 May 2008 7.11 June 2008 7.12 State of the Race at the end of the Primary 7.13 June 2008, cont. 7.14 July 2008 7.15 August 2008 7.16 September 2008 7.17 October 2008 7.18 November 2008 7.19 December 2008 8 2009 9 References 10 External links

[edit] 2002

• October 7 - Maureen Dowd writes article in The New York Times entitled "Can Hillary Upgrade?" which claims that Hillary Clinton, serving as the junior Senator from New York, has mollified her criticism of the then-pending invasion of Iraq because "Clinton knows that any woman who hopes to be elected president cannot afford to be seen as too much of a dove," and that she might seek the Democratic Party's nomination in 2008.^[1]

[edit] 2003

• November 27 - In an interview with Germany's Bunte magazine, 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, she replied: "I know. Well, perhaps I'll do it next time around," widely interpreted that she will consider a run in the 2008 race, if the 2004 Democratic nominee is unsuccessful.^[2]

[edit] 2004

• July 27 - Much of America and the world is first introduced to Illinois State Senator Barack Obama when he makes a well-received speech at the Democratic National Convention, as a candidate for United States Senator in the state of Illinois. Afterwards, political experts and Democratic insiders begin to speculate Obama as a future candidate for higher political office.
• November 2 - President George W. Bush wins re-election over Senator John F. Kerry.
• November 9 - Following Senator John Kerry's loss in the 2004 election, Cameron Kerry, John Kerry's brother and political confidante stated 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."^[3]

[edit] 2005

• February 7 - After the reelection inauguration of George W. Bush, in an interview with Fox News Sunday, Vice President Dick Cheney was asked whether he would seek the Republican nomination for the presidency in 2008. He replied: "I've got my plans laid out, I'm going to serve this president for the next four years and then I'm out of here." When pressed further, Cheney also responded to a potential presidential run by stating "Not only no, but hell no" and quoted General William Tecumseh Sherman's famous statement "If nominated, I will not run. If elected, I will not serve."^[4]

[edit] 2006

• March 11 - Southern Republican Leadership Conference Hotline Straw Poll: Bill Frist 526 (36.9%), Mitt Romney 205 (14.4%), George Allen 147 (10.3%), John McCain 66 (4.6%), Mike Huckabee 54 (3.8%), George Pataki 38 (2.7%), Condoleezza Rice 32 (2.2%), Sam Brownback 22 (1.5%), Rudy Giuliani 15 (1.1%), Newt Gingrich 13 (0.9%), Chuck Hagel 3 (0.2%), scattered 43 (3.0%) and President Bush (as a show of support for the war) got 147 (10.3%). This is the first cattle call poll of the cycle.^[5]
• March 21 - Delaware Senator and 1988 Democratic primary candidate, Joseph Biden announces that he will seek the Democratic nomination in 2008 .^[6]
• April 17 - Former Democratic Alaska Senator and an active, but unsuccessful 1972 candidate for Vice President on the Democratic ticket, Mike Gravel, stated his intention to run in a speech before the National Press Club.^[7]
• May 20 - Wisconsin State Republican Convention Straw Poll: George Allen 61 (17%), Rudy Giuliani 60 (17%), Newt Gingrich 53 (15%), Condoleezza Rice 50 (14%), Mitt Romney 40 (11%), John McCain 37 (10%), no response 15 (4%), Sam Brownback 11 (3%), Bill Frist and Tom Tancredo 8 (2%) each, George Pataki 4 (1%) Mike Huckabee 2 (1%), and Chuck Hagel 1 (0%).^[8]
• May 22 - It is announced that Democratic Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd has "decided to do all the things that are necessary to prepare to seek the presidency in 2008."^[9]
• June 2 - Minnesota Republicans hold a straw poll at their annual convention. Results: Newt Gingrich 210 votes. George Allen 79 votes, followed by Condoleezza Rice with 58 and John McCain at 55 votes; Jeb Bush 32 votes, Mitt Romney 29, and Rudy Giuliani 19.^[10]

[edit] October 2006

• October 12 - Former Democratic Virginia Governor and widely-speculated 2008 contender Mark Warner states that he will not seek the presidency in 2008.^[11]
• October 22 - After his decisive victory in November 2004, freshman Illinois Senator Barack Obama had stated that "I can unequivocally say I will not be running for national office in four years."^[12] He changed his mind about a presidential run in October 2006, stating: "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."^[13]
• October 30 - Massachusetts Senator John Kerry makes a "botched joke" about education and Iraq, which dominates the news for several days.
• October 30 - Republican Representative Duncan Hunter from California announces the formation of an exploratory committee for a presidential run.^[14]

[edit] November 2006

• November 7 - Midterm election: the Democratic Party captures the House and Senate.
• November 9 - Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack files papers with the FEC announcing that he's a candidate for the Democratic nomination.^[15]
• November 10 - Senator John McCain announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee.^[16]
• November 10 - Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, forms a presidential exploratory committee to begin raising money for a possible campaign for the Republican nomination.^[17]
• November 12 - Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, considered the darling of the Democratic Party's left wing, withdraws his name from the race.^[18]
• November 15 - Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson announces that he intends to form a presidential exploratory committee in early 2007.^[19]
• November 17 - Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum withdraws his name from the race.^[20]
• November 29 - Tennessee Senator Bill Frist withdraws his name from the race.^[21]
• November 30 - Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack publicly and formally announces he is running for president.^[22]

[edit] December 2006

• December 1 - Indiana Senator Evan Bayh announces the formation of an exploratory committee.^[23]
• December 1 - On the Tonight Show, Illinois Senator Barack Obama lets it be known that he's considering a presidential bid.^[24]
• December 3 - Former South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle withdraws his name from the race.^[25]
• December 3 - The New York Times prints an article on how Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is in discussions with New York Democratic leaders as to setting up a Presidential race.^[26]
• December 4 - Republican Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas announces formation of an exploratory committee.^[27]
• December 9 - Senator George Allen of Virginia, who had lost a close race for reelection, announces that he won't run for president. He was at one time considered a front-runner.^[28]
• December 9 - New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson denies he actually announced that he was running in a Fox News interview earlier in the week.^[29]
• December 11 - Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich announces his plans to run for president in a report by the Associated Press.^[30]
• December 15 - After two weeks of "exploration" Senator Evan Bayh withdraws from the race.^[31]
• December 16 - Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards announces he will formally start his candidacy later in the month.^[32]
• December 19 - Former Virginia Governor James S. Gilmore III, announces he is setting up an exploratory committee, saying that he is a "Reagan Republican."^[33]
• December 28 - Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards officially kicks off his campaign in New Orleans.^[34]

[edit] 2007

[edit] State of nomination races at beginning of 2007

Polling Results

Party	National (Gallup, Dec. 11–14)[35]	Iowa (KCCI-TV in Des Moines)[36]	New Hampshire (Research 2000)[37]
Dem.	Hillary Clinton 33% Barack Obama 20% Al Gore 12% John Edwards 8% John Kerry 6% Joe Biden 3% Wesley Clark 2% Bill Richardson 2% Evan Bayh 2% Tom Vilsack 1% Christopher Dodd 1% Dennis Kucinich 1%	Edwards 22% Obama 22% Vilsack 12% Clinton 10% Gore 7% Kerry 5% Clark 4% Kucinich 4% Biden 1% Bayh 1% Richardson 1%	Clinton 22% Obama 21% Edwards 16% Gore 10% Kerry 7% Clark 4% Kucinich 4% Biden 2% Vilsack 2% Bayh 2% Richardson 2%
Rep.	John McCain 28% Rudy Giuliani 28% Condoleezza Rice 12% Newt Gingrich 8% Mitt Romney 4% Mike Huckabee 2% Sam Brownback 2% George Allen 2% Tommy Thompson 2% Chuck Hagel 1% George Pataki 1% Duncan Hunter 1%	McCain 27% Giuliani 26% Romney 9% Gingrich 7% Rice 4% Pataki 1% Jeb Bush 1% Allen 1% Brownback 1%	Giuliani 26% McCain 25% Romney 10% Gingrich 8% Rice 6% Pataki 3% Bush 1% Allen 1% Brownback 1% Rick Santorum 1% Hunter 0%

[edit] January 2007

• January 1 - In the first scandal of the campaign, Rudy Giuliani's secret campaign strategy is made public in the New York Daily News.^[38] Giuliani claims the material was stolen while the News claims it was left in a hotel accidentally.^[39]
• January 3 - Mitt Romney files papers to set up an exploratory committee.^[40]
• January 4 - First fully Democratic-controlled Congress in 12 years takes office.
• January 5 - Kansas Senator Sam Brownback's exploratory committee announces his campaign will officially start on the 20th.^[41]
• January 7 - Senator Joe Biden of Delaware declares yet again he is running, and will set up an exploratory committee later in the month.^[42]
• January 9 - Civil rights activist Al Sharpton announces he's considering another run for the White House.^[43]
• January 9 - Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore files papers for an exploratory committee.^[44]
• January 11 - Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd officially announces his candidacy and files papers for a full-fledged campaign committee.^[45]
• January 11 - The Democratic National Committee announces that it will have its National convention in Denver, Colorado.^[46]
• January 11 - Texas representative Ron Paul announces the formation of a presidential exploratory committee.^[47]
• January 12 - California Representative Duncan Hunter files papers to establish an exploratory committee.^[48]
• January 15 - Colorado Representative Tom Tancredo files papers to establish an exploratory committee.^[49]
• January 16 - Illinois Senator Barack Obama announces that he's forming an exploratory committee.^[50]
• January 20 - New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton announces that she's forming an exploratory committee.^[51]
• January 20 - Kansas Senator Sam Brownback officially announces his candidacy for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination in a rally in his homestate of Kansas.^[52]
• January 21 - New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson announces the formation of a presidential exploratory committee.^[53]
• January 24 - 2004 Presidential Nominee John Kerry rules out presidential run to seek reelection to the Senate.^[54]
• January 25 - Representative Duncan Hunter formally and officially becomes a candidate.^[55]
• January 29 - Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee files papers setting up an exploratory committee.^[56]
• January 31 - Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware formally and officially becomes a candidate.^[57]

[edit] February 2007

• February 1 - Democratic National Committee convenes its annual winter meeting featuring ten 2008 White House hopefuls, in Washington, DC.^[58]
• February 5 - Rudy Giuliani files "statement of Candidacy" with the FEC.^[59]
• February 10 - Senator Barack Obama formally and officially announces his candidacy.^[60]
• February 13 - Mitt Romney formally and officially announces his candidacy.^[61]
• February 21 - Nevada Democrats hold Presidential forum in Carson City. All the major Democratic presidential candidates, including frontrunning Senator Hillary Clinton and former Senator John Edwards, took part with the exception of Senator Barack Obama, who was attacked by Senator Clinton for the remarks of one of his supporters, David Geffen. ABC News commentator and talk show host George Stephanopoulos moderated.^[62]
• February 23 - Tom Vilsack of Iowa withdraws from the race, citing money problems.^[63]
• February 28 - John McCain formally announces that he's going to formally announce his candidacy in April.^[64]

[edit] March 2007

• March 1 - In the first straw poll of the year, the Spartanburg County, South Carolina Republican party gives Arizona Sen. John McCain an official victory.
  The results: McCain 164 votes; Rudy Giuliani 162 votes; Duncan Hunter 158; Sam Brownback 85; Mitt Romney 80; Newt Gingrich 33 (write-in); Mike Huckabee 21; Tom Tancredo 10; John H. Cox 4; Ron Paul 4; Condoleezza Rice 2 (write-in); Jim Gilmore 1; Tommy Thompson 1; Mr. Sanders (the party was unable to identify this candidate): 1 (write-in)^[65]
• March 3 - Conservative PAC convention in Washington, DC, ends with announcement of the results of their presidential straw poll, which are: Mitt Romney 21%; Rudy Giuliani 17%; Sam Brownback 15%; Newt Gingrich 14%; John McCain 12% and others with less.^[66]
• March 4 - New Mexico Governor and Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson tells the Associated Press to expect that the Democratic race will be over after the first four Democratic contests are completed.^[67]
• March 9 - In the first Straw poll on the Democratic side, Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd is victorious in York County, South Carolina.
  The results: Dodd 28%; Barack Obama 24%; Hillary Clinton 18%; John Edwards 11%; Al Gore 8% and Joe Biden 5.5%.^[68]
• March 9 - Nevada Democratic debate is cancelled to protest editorial policies of Fox News.^[69]
• March 11 - Former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson announces on Fox News that he's weighing a bid for the White House. ^[70]
• March 12 - Texas Representative Ron Paul announces his official candidacy on C-SPAN.^[71]
• March 22 - John Edwards's wife Elizabeth announces that her cancer has become malignant, but her husband's campaign will go on.^[72]
• March 22 - Barack Obama's public relations firm fires the creator of a parody of the famous original Macintosh computer ad which attacked Hillary Clinton.^[73]

[edit] State of the race at the start of the second quarter, 2007

Polling Results

Party	National	Iowa	New Hampshire
Rep.	Time Magazine, March 23–26:[74] Rudy Giuliani 35% John McCain 22% Newt Gingrich 12% Mitt Romney 11% Sam Brownback 2% Mike Huckabee 1% Jim Gilmore 1% Tom Tancredo 0% Chuck Hagel 0%	Zogby, March 28:[75] Giuliani 25% McCain 19% Romney 11% Fred Thompson 7% Tommy Thompson 5% Brownback 3% Huckabee 2% Tancredo 1%	American Research Group, March 19–22:[76] McCain 23% Giuliani 19% Romney 17% F. Thompson 10%
Dem.	Time, March 23–26:[74] Hillary Rodham Clinton 31% Barack Obama 24% John Edwards 16% Al Gore 15% Bill Richardson 3% Joe Biden 2% Chris Dodd 1% Dennis Kucinich 0%	Zogby, March 26:[77] Edwards 27% Clinton 25% Obama 23% Biden 3% Richardson 3% Kucinich 1% Dodd 1%	Am. Rsch. Grp., March 19–22:[78] Clinton 37% Obama 23% Edwards 20%

Fundraising totals, Jan–March

• Republicans: Romney $21 million; Giuliani $15 million, McCain $12.5 million; Brownback; $1.9 million, Huckabee $500,000; T. Thompson $400,000^[79][80][81]

• Democrats: Clinton $26 million+ $10 million from her Senate campaign account, her total receipts: $36 million; Obama $25 million; Edwards $14 million; Bill Richardson: $6 million; Dodd $4 million + $5 million from his Senate campaign account and had $7.5 million cash on hand; Biden $4 million + $2 million transferred from his Senate campaign account.^{[80][82][83][84]}

[edit] April 2007

• April 1 - Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson announces his presidential candidacy.^[85]
• April 2 - Representative Tom Tancredo announces his presidential candidacy.^[86]
• April 11 - Former Senator Fred Thompson announces that he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma but is now in remission.^[87]
• April 12 - Moveon.org holds virtual "town hall" on Iraq featuring a straw poll. Results: Obama 27.87%; Edwards 24.84%; Kucinich 17.18%; Richardson 12.26%; Clinton 10.70%; Biden 6.19%; Dodd 1.05% ^[88]
• April 25-April 27 - John McCain launches his 2008 Presidential Campaign with stops in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Iowa and Arizona.^[89]
• April 26 - Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore formally announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination.^[90]
• April 26 - The South Carolina Democratic Party hosts a presidential debate at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg County, featuring all eight Democratic candidates.^[91]. SurveyUSA conducted a poll to determine the winner of the debate; results: Obama: 31%, Clinton: 24%, Edwards: 14%, Biden: 6%, Richardson: 4%, Kucinich: 3%, Dodd: 2%, Gravel 2%, Not Sure 13%.^[92]
• April 28 - California State Democratic Convention, attended by seven of the eight major candidates. All candidates stake out anti-war positions. Senator Clinton promises to withdraw all troops from Iraq immediately after taking office, and Senator Obama calls on the U.S. Congress to override a veto of the spending bill which defines a March 2008 goal for troop withdrawal.^[93]

[edit] May 2007

• May 3 - Log Cabin Republicans' annual conference.
• May 3 - Republican presidential debates, 2008: MSNBC & The Politico air a GOP presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
• May 5 - Rudy Giuliani delivers the commencement address at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina
• May 5 - Mitt Romney delivers the commencement address at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia
• May 5 - Hillary Clinton delivers the commencement address at Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio
• May 7 - Washington State GOP annual statewide auction dinner, where they had a straw poll:Fred Thompson 50%; Mitt Romney 16%; Rudy Giuliani 15%; Duncan Hunter 10%; John McCain 5%; Tom Tancredo 1%; Tommy Thompson 1%; Mike Huckabee 1%; Newt Gingrich <1%^[94]
• May 12 - John Edwards delivers the commencement address at New England College's commencement in Henniker, New Hampshire
• May 12 Wispolitics convention straw poll: Fred Thompson received 95 votes, with 84 votes for former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson. Mitt Romney was a distant third with 41 votes. Gov. Thompson and Sam Brownback, who got 14 votes, addressed the convention in separate speeches.^[95]
• May 15 - Republican presidential debates, 2008: The South Carolina Republican Party hosts a presidential debate at the University of South Carolina's Koger Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Ron Paul says that America's failure to maintain a non-interventionist foreign policy was a "major contributing factor" to the 9/11 attacks. He says further that terrorists attacked the United States "because we've been over there; we've been bombing Iraq for 10 years,"^[96][97] which is similar to claims made in the 9/11 Commission Report. His remarks draw strong criticism from Rudolph Giuliani, who calls it "an extraordinary statement.... I don't think I've heard that before, and I've heard some pretty absurd explanations for September 11th."^[98] Ron Paul's comments increase his notoriety on the Internet, becoming the most searched name on Technorati following the debate.^[99]
• May 15 - former House speaker Newt Gingrich proclaimes that "there is a 'great possibility' that he will mount a White House bid.'
• May 19 - George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton deliver the commencement at University of New Hampshire
• May 19 - Barack Obama delivers the commencement address at Southern New Hampshire University
• May 20 Georgia Republican Convention straw poll: Former Senator Fred Thompson garnered 188 votes or 44%, while former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich, from Georgia, was second with 77 vote sor 18%; Rudy Giuliani — 64, or 15%; Mitt Romney — 40, or 9%; Mike Huckabee — 18, or 4%; Duncan Hunter — 10, or 2.3%; John McCain — 10, or 2.3%; Ron Paul — 8, or 1.9%; Tommy Thompson — 6, or 1.4%; Tom Tancredo — 4, or .9%; Sam Brownback — 2, or .5%; and John H. Cox — 2, or .5%^[100]
• May 21 New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson formally and officially enters the race.
• May 30 The Weekly Standard reports that Former Senator Fred Thompson will set up a "testing-the-waters" committee that will begin accepting contributions on June 4.^[101]

[edit] June 2007

• June 3 - Democratic presidential debates, 2008: Democratic hopefuls debate in New Hampshire, hosted by CNN.^[102]
• June 4 - Sojourners presidential forum featuring Sen. Hillary Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama is broadcast on CNN.
• June 5 - Republican presidential debates, 2008: Republicans hopefuls debate in New Hampshire, hosted by CNN.^[102]
• June 6 - John McCain and Rudy Giuliani announce they won't contest the Ames Straw Poll.^[103]
• June 7 - Tommy Thompson says he's considering dropping out of the Ames Straw Poll as well.
• June 7 - 100 Black Men Inc. Presidential Candidates' Town Hall Meeting at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Las Vegas, NV.
• June 19 - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg resigns from the Republican Party, fueling speculation about an independent run for President.
• June 19 - AFSCME Democratic Presidential Forum moderated by MSNBC's Chris Matthews, part of AFSCME's 2007 National Leadership Conference, at Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC.
• June 26 - Dennis Kucinich and Christopher Dodd address ACLU protest rally in Washington, DC.
• June 28 - Democratic presidential debates, 2008: PBS hosts a debate of the 2008 Democratic presidential candidates at Howard University in Washington, DC
• June 29 - A Taiwanese newspaper reports that Al Gore has cancelled all speaking engagements for the next six months in preparation for a presidential run.^[104]
• June 30 - Elizabeth Edwards confronts Ann Coulter on national television for Coulter's repeated insults against her husband, as Coulter referred to Senator Edwards as a "fag" on numerous occasions and asks her to stop.^[105]

[edit] State of the race at the start of the third quarter, 2007

Delegate totals, as of June 30

• Republicans: none selected
• Democrats: ("superdelegate" endorsements)^[106]
  • Hillary Clinton 37
  • Barack Obama 22
  • John Edwards 15
  • Chris Dodd 9
  • Bill Richardson 5
  • Joseph Biden 2

Polling Results

Party	National[107]	Iowa[108]	Nevada[109][110]	New Hampshire
Rep.	Rudy Giuliani 31% Fred Thompson 21% John McCain 19% Mitt Romney 11% Ron Paul 2% Mike Huckabee 2% Sam Brownback 1% Tom Tancredo 1% Tommy Thompson 1% Jim Gilmore 0% Duncan Hunter 0%	Romney 23% F. Thompson 17% Giuliani 14% McCain 10% T. Thompson 6% Huckabee 5% Newt Gingrich 4% Brownback 3% Paul 2% Tancredo 2% Hunter 1% Gilmore 1% Chuck Hagel 1% Undecided 11%	Romney 28% Giuliani 18% F. Thompson 18% McCain 8% Gingrich 4% Huckabee 3% Undecided 18%	CNN–WMUR:[111] Romney 28% Giuliani 20% McCain 20% F. Thompson 11% Gingrich 4% Paul 3% Brownback 2% Huckabee 2% Tancredo 1%	7NEWS–Suffolk University:[112] Romney 26% Giuliani 22% F. Thompson 13% McCain 13% (no one else mentioned)
Dem.	Hillary Clinton 43% Barack Obama 25% John Edwards 17% Bill Richardson 5% Joe Biden 3% Dennis Kucinich 2% Chris Dodd 0% Mike Gravel 0%	Edwards 26% Obama 21% Clinton 20% Richardson 11% Biden 4% Dodd 2% Kucinich 1% Undecided 15%	Clinton 39% Obama 17% Edwards 12% Richardson 7% Biden 2% Al Gore 1% Dodd 1%	CNN–WMUR:[113] Clinton 36% Obama 22% Edwards 12% Gore 12% Richardson 10% Biden 4% Kucinich 1% Dodd 0% Gravel 0% Someone else 2% No opinion 1%	7NEWS–Suffolk University:[114] Clinton 37% Obama 19% Richardson 9% Edwards 9% (no one else mentioned)[115]

Fundraising totals (April–June 2007)^[116]

Republicans	Democrats
Rudy Giuliani $17 million Mitt Romney $14 million John McCain $11.2 million Ron Paul $2.4 million Sam Brownback $1.4 million Mike Huckabee $763,000 Tommy Thompson $461,000 Jim Gilmore $182,000	Barack Obama $32.8 million Hillary Clinton $27 million John Edwards $8.9 million Bill Richardson $7 million Chris Dodd $3.25 million Joseph Biden $2.3 million Dennis Kucinich $756,568

[edit] July 2007

• July 1 - Republican forum at Des Moines, co-sponsored by the Iowa Christian Alliance and Iowans for Tax Relief. Six of the ten candidates were scheduled to show up.^[117]
• July 2 - President Bush commutes former Cheney aide Scooter Libby's sentence for obstruction of justice.
• July 2 - Facing severe financial problems, John McCain fires over a hundred campaign staffers and publicly considers accepting matching funds.^[118]
• July 5 - Al Gore states he has "fallen out of love with politics" and has no intention of running for public office again.
• July 7 - Al Gore hosts Live Earth concerts, held around the world.
• July 7 - Ron Paul wins the Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers straw poll with 65% of the vote.
• July 9 - John McCain campaign manager and chief strategist resign.
• July 12 - Annual NAACP Convention convenes, featuring a joint appearance by all the Democratic hopefuls.
• July 13 - Green Party Presidential Candidate Forum, Green National Meeting (12-15), Reading, PA
• July 14 - Jim Gilmore announces that he is dropping out of the race for the Republican nomination.^[119]
• July 15 - Mike Huckabee declares that if he finishes fourth or worse in the Aug. 11 Ames Straw Poll, he will re-evaluate his bid for the presidency.^[120]
• July 23 - Democratic presidential debates, 2008: Democratic debate hosted by YouTube/Google and CNN in Charleston, SC

[edit] August 2007

• August 5 - ABC News and ABC5/WOI-TV host a Republican forum in Des Moines, IA.
• August 7 - Democratic presidential debates, 2008: MSNBC and the AFL-CIO hold a Democratic debate over labor issues in Chicago, Illinois.
• August 9 - Democratic presidential debates, 2008: Democratic candidates gather for a gay-issues forum in Los Angeles, CA; all except Sens. Joe Biden and Chris Dodd attend.
• August 11 - Mitt Romney wins the Iowa Straw Poll with 4516 votes (31.5%), matching that of then-Gov. George W. Bush in 1999. Mike Huckabee comes in second with 2587 (18.1%), and the rest follows: Sam Brownback 2192 (15.3%),Tom Tancredo 1961 (13.7%),Ron Paul 1305 (9.1%),Tommy Thompson 1039 (7.3%),Fred Thompson 203 (1.4%),Rudy Giuliani 183 (1.3%),Duncan Hunter 174 (1.2%),John McCain 101 (1%) and John H. Cox 41 (0.1%)^[121]
• August 12 - Tommy Thompson announces that he is dropping out of the race for the Republican nomination due to an abysmal showing at the Iowa Straw Poll.^[122]
• August 16 - Illinois Republican straw poll: Romney 373, Fred Thompson 184, Paul 174, Giuliani 107, McCain 38, Huckabee 28, Brownback 10, Hunter 6, Tancredo 2^[123]
• August 19 - Democratic presidential debates, 2008: Democratic debate hosted by ABC in Des Moines, IA
• August National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation (501c3) and the National Community Pharmacists Association Foundation (501c3) 2007 Presidential Candidate Forum on Health Care (Democrats) at Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny.

[edit] September 2007

• September 1 - Texas Republican straw poll: Duncan Hunter 534 votes, or 41%; Fred Thompson 266 votes, or nearly 21%; Ron Paul 217 (17%); Mike Huckabee 83; Rudy Giuliani 78; Mitt Romney 61; tool-and-die maker Ray McKinney of Savannah, Ga. 28; Chicago businessman John H. Cox 10 votes; John McCain 8; Sam Brownback 6; Tom Tancredo 6; counterterrorism expert Hugh Cort of Birmingham, Ala.,3^[124]

• September 5 - Republican presidential debates, 2008: Another New Hampshire Republican debate, sponsored by Fox News.^[125]
• September 6 Fred Thompson officially announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination.
• September 9 Univision Democratic debate at BankUnited Center at the University of Miami, in Coral Gables, FL.
• September 14 Alan Keyes announces that he's yet again a candidate^[126]
• September 16 Univision Republican debate at BankUnited Center at the University of Miami, in Coral Gables, FL. (rescheduled)
• September 21 - Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference at the Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island, MI, featuring the traditional straw poll. The results: Mitt Romney 39% (383 votes); John McCain 27% (260); Ron Paul 11% (106); Rudy Giuliani 11% (104); Fred Thompson 7% (70); Mike Huckabee 3% (25); Duncan Hunter 1% (12); Sam Brownback <1% (3); Uncommitted 2% (16)
• September 23 Newt Gingrich challenges supporters to raise $30 million in a month otherwise he won't run for president.
• September 23 Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute (CBC Institute) /FOX Democratic debate in Detroit, MI. Mitt Romney, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson fail to show up.
• September 26 - New England Cable News, NBC News, Dartmouth College and New Hampshire Public Radio Democratic debate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH
• September 27 - New England Cable News, NBC News, Dartmouth College and New Hampshire Public Radio Republican debate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.
• September 29 - Newt Gingrich announces that he definitely will not run.^[127]

[edit] State of the race at the start of the final quarter, 2007

Delegate totals (superdelegate endorsements)

• Republicans: None selected
• Democrats^[128]
  • Hillary Clinton 69
  • Barack Obama 25
  • John Edwards 15
  • Chris Dodd 9
  • Bill Richardson 7
  • Joe Biden 1

Fundraising totals, July–September 2007

Democratic[129]	Republican[citation needed]
Hillary Clinton $27 million Barack Obama $20 million John Edwards $7 million Bill Richardson $5.2 million	Rudy Giuliani $11.62 million Mitt Romney $10 million Fred Thompson $8 million John McCain $5.73 million Ron Paul $5.25 million Mike Huckabee $1.03 million Sam Brownback $925,745 Tom Tancredo $767,152 Duncan Hunter $536,356

Polling results

Party	National	Iowa	Nevada	New Hampshire
Dem.	Rasmussen Reports:[130] Hillary Clinton 44% Barack Obama 22% John Edwards 15% Bill Richardson 2%	Newsweek, 09/29/2007:[131] Barack Obama 28% Hillary Clinton 24% John Edwards 22% Bill Richardson 10% Joe Biden 5% Dennis Kucinich 1% Chris Dodd 1%	Am. Rsch. Grp.:[132] Clinton 51% Edwards 14% Obama 11% Richardson 5% Biden 4% Dodd 2% Kucinich 1% Gravel 1%	Am. Rsch. Grp.:[133] Clinton 41% Obama 22% Edwards 10% Richardson 8%
Rep.	[citation needed][134] Rudy Giuliani 30% Fred Thompson 23% John McCain 15% Mitt Romney 10% Huckabee 4% Ron Paul 2% Brownback 1% Hunter 1% Tancredo 1%	Pollster.com:[135] Romney 24% Giuliani 16% Huckabee 13% Thompson 13% McCain 10% Brownback 5% Paul 4% Hunter 2%	Am. Rsch. Grp.:[132] Giuliani 31% Romney 30% McCain 11% Thompson 9% Brownback 4% Huckabee 2% Paul 1% Tancredo 1% Hunter 1%	[citation needed] Romney 28% Giuliani 20% McCain 17% Huckabee 8% Thompson 8% Paul 6% Brownback 2% Hunter 1%

Other Republican candidate polling results

• South Carolina: Thompson 21%; Romney 16%; Giuliani 16%; McCain 16%; Huckabee 11%; Paul 3%; Brownback 2%; Hunter 2%^[135]
• Michigan: Giuliani 19%; Romney 16%; McCain 15%; Thompson 14%; Huckabee 6% Paul 5%; Brownback 2%; Hunter 2%^[135]
• Florida: Giuliani 29%; Thompson 19%; Romney 16%; McCain 10%; Huckabee 6%; Paul 3%; Brownback 1%^[135]

[edit] October 2007

• October 9 - Republican presidential debates, 2008: Fred Thompson makes his debate debut in Dearborn, Michigan.
• October 9 - Deadline for Michigan Primary. Obama, Edwards, Biden, Richardson and Kucinich file papers to get their names off the ballot. All 'major' Republicans but Alan Keyes, who begins a petition drive, are on the ballot.^[136]
• October 12 - Al Gore wins the Nobel Peace Prize
• October 12 - Former candidate Tommy Thompson endorses Rudy Giuliani for president.^[137]
• October 14 - Republican presidential debates, 2008: ABC News/WMUR-TV/Union Leader Republican debate in Manchester, NH.
• October 16 - Stephen Colbert announces he is running for president as a favorite son in South Carolina.^[138]
• October 19 - Sam Brownback announces that he is dropping out of the race for the Republican nomination.^[139]
• October 19 - 21: Socialist Party USA National Convention in St. Louis, Missouri. Brian Moore of Florida is nominated for president and Stewart Alexander of California for vice-president. The final round vote was: 25 for Moore and 20 for Eric Chester of Massachusetts.^[140][141]
• October 20 - Orlando, Florida hosts the Values Voter Summit, sponsored by the Family Research council, attended by all the major Republican candidates and featuring a straw poll: Mike Huckabee 488 (51.26%); Mitt Romney 99 (10.40%); Fred Thompson 77 (8.09%); Tom Tancredo 65 (6.83%); Rudy Giuliani 60 (6.30%); Duncan Hunter 54 (5.67%); John McCain 30 (3.15%); Sam Brownback 26 (2.73%); Ron Paul 25 (2.63%); Undecided 11 (1.16%); Not Voting 7 (0.74%); Barack Obama 5 (0.53%); Christopher Dodd 2 (0.21%); Dennis Kucinich 2 (0.11%); Joe Biden 1 (0.11%). If online votes are included, Mitt Romney beat Huckabee 1595 (27.62%) to 1565 27.15%, with Ron Paul in third with 865 14.98%.^[142]
• October 21 - Republican presidential debates, 2008: Florida Republican Party/FOX News debate in Orlando, FL.^[143]
• October 21 - Democratic presidential debates, 2008: ABC News, WMUR-TV, and the New Hampshire Union Leader host a Democratic presidential debate in NH
• October 30 - Democratic presidential debates, 2008: Democratic debate hosted by NBC News/MSNBC** in Philadelphia, PA

[edit] November 2007

• November 2 - Deadline for submitting applications to get on New Hampshire Primary ballot.^[144]
• November 5 - Ron Paul raises the most money on a single day of any GOP candidate to date with $4.3 million.^[145] He also raises the most money through online donations of any candidate in US history.^[146][147] Paul would later beat his own records on December 16.
• November 8 - Republican National committee strips all states selecting delegates prior to February 5 of half their delegates.
• November 9 - Announcement of Michigan primary candidate lists.^{[citation needed]}
• November 15 - CNN/Nevada Democratic Party Nevada Democratic Presidential Debate at UNLV in Las Vegas, NV
• November 28 Republican debate hosted by YouTube/Google and CNN.
• November 30 Man takes hostages in Hillary Clinton's campaign offices

[edit] December 2007

• December 1 - "The Heartland Presidential Candidate Forum – A Conversation with Real People on Real Issues," cosponsored by coalition of over two dozen community organizations including the Center for Community Change, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, and Grass Roots Organizing at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines, IA
  • Delegate totals at beginning of the Month: Democrats ("superdelegate" endorsements): Uncommitted 365; Clinton 169, Obama, 63; Edwards 34; Richardson, 25; Dodd, 17; Biden, 8, and Dennis Kucinich, 2.^[148] GOP: None as yet selected.
  • The Democratic National Committee strips Michigan of all its delegates.
• December 4 - Republican debate sponsored by the Fox News Channel and the Republican Party of Iowa. Only candidates polling nationally at 5% or higher are allowed to participate.^[149]
• December 6 - Seeking to assuage fears by Christian conservatives of a Mormon president, Mitt Romney delivers a major address on his faith and religion in the United States at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library. ^[150]
• December 7 - "Special" Absentee ballots become available in California, and the voting officially begins.^[151][152]
• December 9 - Univision Republican debate at BankUnited Center at the University of Miami, in Coral Gables, FL.
• December 10 - Scheduled Democratic debate on CBS in Los Angeles, CA. Canceled due to Writers' Strike.
• December 16 - Ron Paul (R-TX) raises more than $6 million online in 24 hours. This is the largest single day collection of any candidate in US history and the largest collection of the fourth quarter.^[153]
• December 20 - Tom Tancredo announces that he is dropping out of the race for the Republican nomination.^[154]
• December 28 - former Black Panther chairperson Elaine Brown ends her candidacy for the Green Party nomination [1].
• December 31 - Federal Election Commission Chairman Michael Toner estimated in January 2007 that a serious prospective candidate for President "needs to raise $100 million" by the end of 2007 "just to be 'taken seriously.'"^[155]

[edit] 2008

[edit] State of the race at the beginning of 2008

Democrats

Delegate totals (superdelegate endorsements): Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton 36; Sen. Barack Obama 38; Former Sen. John Edwards 18; New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson 7^[156]

National polling

Hillary Clinton 40%; Barack Obama 32%; John Edwards 13%; Will not vote/not sure 4%; Bill Richardson 3%;Dennis Kucinich 2%;Joe Biden 3%; Christopher Dodd 1%; Other.8%; Mike Gravel .8^[157]

Iowa

Barack Obama 28%; Hillary Clinton 24%; John Edwards 22%; Bill Richardson 10%; Joe Biden 5%;Dennis Kucinich 1%; Chris Dodd 1^[158]

New Hampshire

Hillary Clinton 39%; Barack Obama 37%; Edwards 22%; Undecided 3%; Richardson 4%; Gravel 2%; Kucinich 2%^[159]

Nevada

Barack Obama 32%, Hillary Clinton 30%, Edwards 27%, Richardson 2%, ^[160]

Republicans

Delegate totals

None as yet chosen.

Fundraising totals October-December

National polling

Iowa

New Hampshire

McCain 35%; Romney 27%;Huckabee 12%; Giuliani 10%; Paul 7%; Undecided 4%; Hunter 2%; Thompson 2%; Keyes 1%^[161]

[edit] The Early Primaries: January 1 to February 4, 2008

The dates for caucuses and primaries are still subject to change.^[162]

• January 1-14 West Virginia Republican precinct caucuses.^[163] (WV state Republican convention set for February 5)
• January 3 - Iowa caucuses: Democratic caucus won by Barack Obama, Republican caucus won by Mike Huckabee.^[164], Chris Dodd and Joe Biden drop out of the Democratic race
• January 5 - Wyoming Republican caucus won by Mitt Romney^[165]
• January 8 - New Hampshire primary: Democratic primary won by Hillary Clinton, with Obama a close second; Republican primary won by John McCain. ^[166]
• January 9 - Voting begins in Illinois^[167]
• January 10 - Bill Richardson drops out of the Democratic race
• January 10 - Republican debate in South Carolina ^[168]
• January 13 - Green debate in San Francisco, CA, featuring candidates: Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney, Jared Ball, and Kent Mesplay and moderated by: Cindy Sheehan, Ross Mirkarimi, and Matt Gonzalez ^[169]
• January 13 - Jared Ball, withdraws from the race for the Green Party nomination and endorses Cynthia McKinney [2].
• January 15 - The Michigan primaries:^[170] Democratic primary won by Hillary Clinton (although no delegates will attend the 2008 Democratic National Convention^[171]); Republican primary won by Mitt Romney.^[172]
• January 15 - Democratic debate in Nevada ^[173]
• January 19 - Nevada caucuses: Democratic caucus won by Hillary Clinton (but Obama claims more delegates); Republican caucus won by Mitt Romney. Second place for the Republicans went to Ron Paul^[174]; South Carolina Republican primary won by John McCain^[175]
• January 19 - Duncan Hunter drops out of the Republican race
• January 21 - Congressional Black Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute (CBC Institute) /CNN Democratic debate in SC ^[176]
• January 22 - Fred Thompson drops out of the Republican race
• January 22 - Louisiana Caucuses (Republican): "Pro-life Uncommitted" slate wins, McCain second, and Ron Paul a close third.^[177]
• January 24 - Republican Presidential Primary Debate at Florida Atlantic University.
• January 24 - Dennis Kucinich drops out of the Democratic race.^[178]
• January 26 - South Carolina Democratic primary won by Barack Obama with 56%
• January 27 - Caroline and Ted Kennedy endorse Obama
• January 29 - Florida primary^[179]: Republican primary won by John McCain, with Romney second; Democratic primary won by Hillary Clinton (but no delegates are awarded).
• January 30 - Rudy Giuliani withdraws from the Republican race and endorses John McCain.
• January 30 - John Edwards drops out of the Democratic race in New Orleans, LA.
• January 30 - Reagan Presidential Library Foundation/CNN/Los Angeles Times/The Politico Republican debate in Simi Valley, CA.
• January 31 - CNN/Los Angeles Times Democratic debate in Los Angeles, CA
• February 2 - Maine Republican caucuses won by Mitt Romney
• February 3 - Clinton agrees to go on Fox News-sponsored debates.

[edit] February 5, 2008 - Super Tuesday or National Primary Day

The results:^[180]

State	Democratic Winner	Republican Winner		State	Democratic Winner	Republican Winner
Alabama	Obama	Huckabee		Massachusetts	Clinton	Romney
Alaska	Obama	Romney		Minnesota	Obama	Romney
Arizona	Clinton	John McCain		Missouri	Obama	John McCain
Arkansas	Clinton	Huckabee		Montana	—	Romney
California	Clinton	John McCain		New Jersey	Clinton	John McCain
Colorado	Obama	Romney		New Mexico	Clinton	—
Connecticut	Obama	John McCain		New York	Clinton	John McCain
Delaware	Obama	John McCain		North Dakota	Obama	Romney
Georgia	Obama	Huckabee		Oklahoma	Clinton	John McCain
Idaho	Obama	—		Tennessee	Clinton	Huckabee
Illinois	Obama	John McCain		Utah	Obama	Romney
Kansas	Obama	—		West Virginia	—	Huckabee (on 2nd ballot)

• The Feb. 5 American Samoa Democratic caucus was won by Hillary Clinton.^[181]
• The Green Party also had primaries, with Ralph Nader winning California and Cynthia McKinney winning Arkansas and Illinois.^[182]
• The Libertarian Party had two primaries with Christine Smith finishing first of twelve candidates in California [3], and Missouri was won by Uncommitted (47.0%) with Wayne Allyn Root finishing second with (18%) [4].
• The American Independent Party (California affiliate of Constitution Party) Primary was won by Don J. Grundmann with 36.1% [5]
• The Peace and Freedom Party (California) Primary is won by Ralph Nader with 40.7%. Cynthia McKinney finished second with 21.5% and Gloria La Riva finished third with 20.1% [6].

[edit] State of the race at the halfway point

Republican Delegate Count

McCain 604, Romney 244, Huckabee 187, Paul 44

Democratic Delegate Count

908 for Obama, 884 for Clinton^[183]

[edit] The rest of February 2008

• February 5-12 - Democrats Abroad primary
• February 6 - DNC Chairman Howard Dean proclaims that "We're going to have to get the candidates together and make some kind of an arrangement," if there's no nominee by April. ^[184]
• February 7 - Paul, McCain, Romney and Huckabee address the CPAC convention in Alexandria, VA. ^[185]
• February 7 - Romney suspends his campaign
• February 7 - The DNC announces that it's considering plans for a possible "revote" in Michigan and Florida.^[186]
• February 9 - Louisiana Democratic primary won by Obama. Louisiana Republican primary ends with Huckabee only slightly ahead of McCain, no delegates assigned. Kansas Republican caucuses won by Huckabee. United States Virgin Islands Democratic territorial convention won by Obama. Washington Democratic caucuses won by Obama. Washington Republican caucuses won by John McCain, according to media projections, without all votes having been counted. Nebraska Democratic caucuses won by Obama.
• February 10 - Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle resigns but remains with campaign as senior adviser. Maggie Williams is announced as her successor. ^[187]
• February 10 - Maine Democratic caucuses won by Obama.
• February 12 - The "Potomac primary": the District of Columbia Democratic primary, Maryland Democratic primary, and Virginia Democratic primary won by Obama; the District of Columbia Republican primary, Maryland Republican primary, and Virginia Republican primary won by McCain.
• February 12 - Cynthia McKinney won the DC Statehood Green Primary with 41.07% of the vote [7]
• February 19 - Washington Democratic primary and Washington Republican primary won by Obama and McCain, respectively. No delegates were at stake in the Democratic primary.^[188] Wisconsin Democratic primary and Hawaii Democratic caucuses won by Obama. Wisconsin Republican primary won by McCain.
• February 20 - New York Times article accuses McCain of inappropriate conduct during the 2000 Presidential campaign.
• February 21 - The Democrats Abroad primary is officially announced to have been won by Sen. Barack Obama.
• February 21 - Clinton and Obama debate in Austin, Texas.
• February 23 - American Samoa (R) caucus won by McCain.
• February 24 - Ralph Nader (I) announces his candidacy on Meet The Press.
• February 26 - Clinton and Obama debate in Ohio.

[edit] March 2008

• March 4 - The original Super Tuesday: Sen. Hillary Clinton wins in Rhode Island, Ohio and Texas (primary); Sen. Barack Obama wins Vermont and Texas (caucus)
• March 4 - Mike Huckabee withdraws from race.
• March 4 - John McCain passes the 1,191-delegate threshold and becomes the presumptive GOP nominee.
• March 4 - Socialist Party USA nominee Brian Moore wins the Liberty Union Party primary/nomination (VT)
• March 5 - President Bush endorses McCain.
• March 6 - McCain heads off to Europe for working vacation.
• March 8 - Wyoming (D) caucus won by Obama, Guam Republican caucus won by McCain.
• March 11 - Mississippi Democratic primary won by Obama, Mississippi Republican primary won by John McCain.
• March 11 - Mike Gravel endorsed Jesse Johnson for president [8]. Johnson is seeking the Green Party nomination.

[edit] The State of the race at the start of "Spring Break"

Delegate count: Republican: John McCain 1334; Mike Huckabee 278; Ron Paul14

Democratic: Barack Obama 1614; Hillary Clinton1487; John Edwards 24

[edit] March 2008 continued

• March 12 - 1984 Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro resigns from the Clinton campaign after accusations of racism.
• March 13 - McCain goes on tour of Middle East and Europe.
• March 14 - Flap over Obama's pastor Jeremiah Wright's past remarks on race and patriotism.
• March 18 - Obama makes a major address on racial relations in America in response to past comments by Reverend Wright.
• March 25 - Hillary Clinton admits Bosnia mistake.^[189]
• March 26 - Mike Gravel announces intentions to run for the nomination of the Libertarian Party for President, ending his run for the Democratic nomination. ^[190]
• March 29 - Barack Obama nominated by the United Citizens Party (SC) via convention (South Carolina has electoral fusion).
• March 30 - Clinton rejects call to quit race.

[edit] April 2008

• April 4 - Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton's tax returns from the years 2000-2006 are released. ^[191]
• April 5 - Heartland Libertarian Conference/Presidential Debate: Wayne Allyn Root wins straw poll; Bob Barr, who came in second in the straw poll, announces presidential exploratory committee. ^[192]
• April 5 - Virgin Islands (R): McCain running unopposed.
• April 7 - Libertarian Bob Jackson drops Presidential bid and endorses Bob Barr
• April 10 - Chuck Baldwin declares candidacy for Constitution Party Presidential Nomination ^[193]
• April 13 - "The Compassion Forum" held at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania; Senators Clinton and Obama participate.^[194]
• April 15 - Alan Keyes, former U.S. ambassador and candidate for the Republican Party presidential nomination, officially announced his departure from the GOP and his intentions to seek the presidential nomination of the Constitution Party.^[195]
• April 22 - Pennsylvania Democratic Primary won by Hillary Clinton and Pennsylvania Republican Primary won by John McCain.
• April 23 - April 26 - The Constitution Party's National Convention is held in Kansas City, Missouri.^[196] Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party's 2004 Vice Presidential candidate, is chosen as the party's 2008 presidential candidate.^[197] Darrell Castle an attorney from Memphis, Tennessee is the vice-presidential candidate.^[198]

[edit] May 2008

• May 3 - Guam (D) Obama narrowly won by seven votes.
• May 6 - North Carolina Democratic Primary, won by Obama; North Carolina Republican Primary won by McCain; Indiana Democratic Primary narrowly won by Clinton; and Indiana Republican Primary won by McCain
• May 13 - West Virginia Democratic Primary won by Clinton.
• May 12 - Bob Barr officially enters race for the Libertarian Nomination.
• May 15 - 2004 Vice Presidential Candidate for the Democratic Party John Edwards formally endorses Senator Barack Obama for President.
• May 17 - Hawaii (R) caucus
• May 20 - Oregon Democratic Primary won by Barack Obama, Oregon Republican Primary won by John McCain, Kentucky Democratic primary, 2008 won by Hillary Clinton and Kentucky Republican Primary won by John McCain.
• May 23 to May 26 - The 2008 Libertarian National Convention is held at Adam’s Mark Hotel in Denver, Colorado (the same city as the party's first convention in 1972). Bob Barr of Georgia is chosen as the party's Presidential nominee and Wayne Allyn Root of Nevada is chosen as the party's Vice Presidential nominee.^[199]
• May 24 - Hillary Clinton apologized for remarks about Robert Kennedy's 1968 assassination as she defended her continuing nomination bid.
• May 27 - Idaho (R) primary won by McCain.

[edit] June 2008

• June 1 - Puerto Rico (D) primary ^[200] Won by Hillary Clinton by double digits.
• June 3 - Montana (D), South Dakota Democratic Primary, South Dakota Republican Primary and New Mexico (R) primaries. Obama wins enough delegates to officially become the Democratic nominee, however, Clinton does not concede.
• June 4 - Supporters in Congress tell Clinton race is over in conference call.
• June 4 - McCain challenges Obama to a series of "town hall" debates starting on the 12th of the month. Obama considers it.
• June 5 - Clinton officially concedes via email at 2AM eastern daylight time.
• June 5 - Obama appoints Vice presidential selection committee.

[edit] State of the Race at the end of the Primary

2008 Democratic presidential primaries delegate count
As of June 7, 2008

Candidate	Actual pledged delegates1 (3,253 of 3,409 total)	Predicted pledged delegates2 (3,409 of 3,409 total)	Estimated superdelegates2 (681 of 825 total)	Estimated total delegates2 (4,090 of 4,234 total; 2,118 needed to win)
Barack Obama	1,661	1,763	395	2,158
Hillary Rodham Clinton	1,592	1,640	286	1,926
John Edwards	-	6	-	6
Color key: 1st place Candidate has suspended/ withdrawn his/her campaign
Sources: 1 "Primary Season Election Results", The New York Times, (regularly updated).  2 "Election Center 2008 Primaries and Caucuses: Results: Democratic Scorecard", CNN, (regularly updated).				This box: view • talk • edit

Delegate statistics:

• Total number of delegates: 4050 (797 unpledged superdelegates and 3,253 pledged elected delegates)
• Delegates required for nomination: 2118

2008 Republican presidential primaries delegate count
As of June 5, 2008

Candidates	Actual pledged delegates1 (1,780 of 1,917)	Estimated total delegates2 (2,082 of 2,380; 1,191 needed to win)
John McCain	1,378	1,517
Ron Paul	14	35
Mike Huckabee	240	275
Mitt Romney	148	255
This box: view • talk • edit	Color key: 1st place 2nd place3 Candidate has withdrawn
Sources: 1 "Primary Season Election Results", The New York Times, (regularly updated).  2 "Election Center 2008 - Republican Delegate Scorecard", CNN, (regularly updated).  32nd place among active candidates, 4th in technical delegate count.

[edit] June 2008, cont.

[edit] July 2008

• July 10 to July 13 - The Green Party will hold its 2008 national nominating convention in Chicago, Illinois.^[201]
• July 12 - Nebraska (R) caucus

[edit] August 2008

• August 25 to August 28 - 2008 Democratic National Convention convenes in Denver, Colorado

[edit] September 2008

• September 1 to September 4 - 2008 Republican National Convention convenes in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
• September 26 - First Presidential Debate at the University of Mississippi on domestic policy.

[edit] October 2008

• Early October - Early voting commences in selected states. Absentee balloting begins.
• October 2 - Vice Presidential Debate at Washington University will be on domestic and foreign policy.
• October 7 - Second Presidential Debate at Belmont University will be in a town meeting format and include any issues raised by members of that audience.
• October 15 - Third Presidential Debate at Hofstra University on foreign policy.
• Late October - Absentee ballot application deadlines.^[202]

[edit] November 2008

• November 4 - Election Day

[edit] December 2008

• December 15 - Electoral College casts official votes for President and Vice-President; each state's electors meet in their respective state capitals

[edit] 2009

• January 3 - The 111th Congress convenes. If the Electoral College fails to yield a majority on January 6, according to the 12th Amendment, this new class of the House and Senate would be responsible for electing the President and Vice President respectively.
• January 6 - Vice President (as President of the Senate) will open the certificates of the electoral votes from the various states, which will then be counted by two tellers each from the House and Senate.^[203] The Vice President will announce the votes for President and Vice-President. Assuming there are no objections, this will formally end the election process.^[203]
• January 20 - Inauguration Day: The inauguration of the 44th President of the United States and the 47th Vice President of the United States

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• New York Times listing of significant presidential campaign dates (retrieved September 2, 2007)

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