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.[2]
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."[4]
2005
February 2005
February 7 – After the
second inauguration of George W. Bush, in an interview with Fox News Sunday,
Vice PresidentDick Cheney is asked whether he will seek the
Republican nomination for the presidency in 2008. He replies "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 responds to a potential presidential run by stating "Not only no, but hell no" and quotes General
William Tecumseh Sherman's
famous statement "If nominated, I will not run. If elected, I will not serve."[5]
2006
March 2006
March 11 – The 2006 Southern Republican Leadership Conference Hotline Straw Poll is won by
Senate Majority LeaderBill Frist with 36.9 percent of the vote.[6]
April 17 – Former United States Senator
Mike Gravel of
Alaska states his intention to
run for the Democratic presidential nomination a speech before the
National Press Club.[8]
May 2006
May 20 – The Wisconsin State Republican Convention Straw Poll is won by United States Senator
George Allen of
Virginia, with 17.4 percent of the vote.[9]
October 22 – Despite having stated that "I can unequivocally say I will not be running for national office in four years",[12] 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."[13]
December 3 – Democratic Senator
Hillary Clinton begins discussions with
New York Democratic officials to indicate the possibility of a 2008 presidential campaign and to ask for their support if she does.[26]
December 4 – Republican Senator
Sam Brownback of Kansas announces the formation of an exploratory committee.[27]
December 16 – Democratic Senator
Evan Bayh of
Indiana withdraws from the race, citing his status as "a relatively unknown candidate".[31]
December 17 – Former Democratic Senator, 2004 presidential candidate and 2004 vice presidential nominee
John Edwards of
North Carolina announces he will formally begin
his candidacy later in the month.[32]
December 28 – John Edwards officially launches his campaign in
New Orleans,
Louisiana, following an
Internet glitch causing his website to announce his candidacy earlier than planned.[34]
2007
January 2007
January 1 – Republican candidate
Rudy Giuliani's
campaign strategy is made public in the New York Daily News.[35] Giuliani claims the material was stolen while the News claims it was left in a hotel accidentally.[36]
January 15 – Republican Representative
Tom Tancredo of
Colorado establishes an exploratory committee.[44]
January 17 – Democratic Senator
Barack Obama of
Illinois announces that he is forming an exploratory committee.[45]
January 20 – Democratic Senator
Hillary Clinton announces that she is forming an exploratory committee.[46] Republican Senator
Sam Brownback of
Kansas officially announces his candidacy for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination in a rally in his home state.[47]
April 12 –
Barack Obama wins a straw poll held at a virtual town hall debate between the Democratic candidates on the subject of the
Iraq War, with 27.87 percent of the vote. 4,882 votes are cast.[68]
May 20 – The
Georgia Republican Convention straw poll is won by former senator
Fred Thompson, with 44 percent of the vote. 429 delegates participate.[78]
July 1 – A Republican forum is held in
Des Moines,
Iowa, co-sponsored by the Iowa Christian Alliance and Iowans for Tax Relief.[84]
July 2 – Facing severe financial problems, Republican candidate
John McCain fires over a hundred campaign staffers and publicly considers accepting
matching funds.[85]
August 12 –
Tommy Thompson announces that he is dropping out of the race for the Republican nomination due to a poor showing in the Ames Straw Poll.[96]
August 16 – Mitt Romney wins the
Illinois State Fair's Republican straw poll, with 40.5 percent of the vote. 922 votes are cast.[97]
August 19 – A Democratic debate is hosted by
ABC in Des Moines, Iowa.[98]
September 12 –
Yahoo! and The Huffington Post host a Democratic "mashup" debate, allowing viewers to choose which candidates they want to hear from on specific issues.[103]
September 21 – The Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference is held at the Grand Hotel in
Mackinac Island,
Michigan, featuring the traditional straw poll, which is won by
Mitt Romney with 39 percent of the vote.[106]
November 5 –
Ron Paul raises the most money on a single day of any Republican candidate to date with US$4.3 million.[121] Paul also raises the most money
online in a single day.[122]
December 16 – Republican candidate
Ron Paul raises more than $6 million through
online donations in 24 hours, breaking his own record of $4.3 million to become the highest figure ever raised in a day.[138]
December 20 – Republican candidate
Tom Tancredo announces that he is dropping out of the race for the Republican nomination. He endorses Mitt Romney.[140]
February 14 – Mitt Romney endorses John McCain for president.[190]
February 17 – Barack Obama and former candidate
John Edwards meet at Edwards's home in
North Carolina to discuss the possibility of Edwards endorsing Obama.[191]
March 14 – The
controversy over
Barack Obama's pastor
Jeremiah Wright's past remarks on race and patriotism begins. Wright leaves the Obama campaign's spiritual advisory committee.[214]
March 21 – Former Democratic candidate Bill Richardson endorses Barack Obama.[217]
March 25 – Hillary Clinton admits that she "misspoke" in campaign comments about a 1996 visit to
Bosnia-Herzegovina, in which she claimed to have been under hostile
sniper fire.[218] Former
First LadyNancy Reagan endorses John McCain.[219]
March 26 – Mike Gravel withdraws from the Democratic race and announces that he will seek the
Libertarian Party's presidential nomination.[220]
April 15 – Republican candidate
Alan Keyes officially announces that he has left the Republican Party and is considering joining the
Constitution Party.[225]
June 27 – Hillary Clinton joins Barack Obama at a rally in
Unity, New Hampshire, her first public appearance since ending her presidential campaign.[256]
August 23 – Barack Obama announces his selection of former Democratic presidential candidate and Senator
Joe Biden of
Delaware as his
running mate.[263]
August 24 – The
Democratic National Committee unanimously votes that the delegates to the Democratic National Convention from
Florida and
Michigan will be fully seated. It had previously stripped both states of their delegates as punishment for moving their primary dates before February 5.[264]
August 27 – Barack Obama is officially nominated for president by the Democratic Party.[265] Joe Biden is nominated for
Vice President of the United States, accepting minutes later.[266]
August 28 – Barack Obama accepts the Democratic Party presidential nomination in a speech delivered at
Invesco Field in
Denver.[267]
September 3 –
John McCain is officially nominated for president by the Republican Party,[269] winning over 98% of the delegates. Ron Paul received
5 to 29 votes, and Mitt Romney received
2 votes.
September 10 – Former Republican candidate
Ron Paul expresses support for
Constitution Party nominee
Chuck Baldwin,
Green Party nominee
Cynthia McKinney and
independent candidate
Ralph Nader in a joint press conference at the
National Press Club.[271] The purpose was to outline shared principles of all: non-interventionism, civil liberties, balanced budgets, and uncorrupt monetary policy.[271]Libertarian Party nominee
Bob Barr, who was invited by Paul, held a separate conference down the hall, joining in the support of shared principles, but protesting that Paul ought to endorse the Libertarian nominee (Barr himself) specifically. Barr's protest was cited[271] as a reason for not giving him the endorsement; two weeks later, Paul would instead specifically endorse[272] the Constitution Party nominee.
October 29 – The
Obama campaign airs a 30-minute prime-time television
advert on several networks, including a live component at the end of the broadcast.[284]
December 8 – The Supreme Court declines to rule on President-elect Obama's eligibility to take office.[292]
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.[293]
2009
January
January 8 – Vice President
Dick Cheney, in his role as
President of the U.S. Senate, opens the certificates of the electoral votes from the various states, which are then counted by two tellers from the
House of Representatives and two from the
Senate. Cheney then announces the votes for president and vice president.[294] Unlike previous electoral vote counts, there were no faithless electors, leaving the final tally unchanged from election day projections.
January 21 – In the
White HouseMap Room, Chief Justice
John Roberts administers the
presidential oath for a second time to
Barack Obama "out of an abundance of caution" as a result of the word "faithfully" being misplaced when the oath was originally administered at the public inauguration ceremony a day earlier.[296]
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.[2]
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."[4]
2005
February 2005
February 7 – After the
second inauguration of George W. Bush, in an interview with Fox News Sunday,
Vice PresidentDick Cheney is asked whether he will seek the
Republican nomination for the presidency in 2008. He replies "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 responds to a potential presidential run by stating "Not only no, but hell no" and quotes General
William Tecumseh Sherman's
famous statement "If nominated, I will not run. If elected, I will not serve."[5]
2006
March 2006
March 11 – The 2006 Southern Republican Leadership Conference Hotline Straw Poll is won by
Senate Majority LeaderBill Frist with 36.9 percent of the vote.[6]
April 17 – Former United States Senator
Mike Gravel of
Alaska states his intention to
run for the Democratic presidential nomination a speech before the
National Press Club.[8]
May 2006
May 20 – The Wisconsin State Republican Convention Straw Poll is won by United States Senator
George Allen of
Virginia, with 17.4 percent of the vote.[9]
October 22 – Despite having stated that "I can unequivocally say I will not be running for national office in four years",[12] 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."[13]
December 3 – Democratic Senator
Hillary Clinton begins discussions with
New York Democratic officials to indicate the possibility of a 2008 presidential campaign and to ask for their support if she does.[26]
December 4 – Republican Senator
Sam Brownback of Kansas announces the formation of an exploratory committee.[27]
December 16 – Democratic Senator
Evan Bayh of
Indiana withdraws from the race, citing his status as "a relatively unknown candidate".[31]
December 17 – Former Democratic Senator, 2004 presidential candidate and 2004 vice presidential nominee
John Edwards of
North Carolina announces he will formally begin
his candidacy later in the month.[32]
December 28 – John Edwards officially launches his campaign in
New Orleans,
Louisiana, following an
Internet glitch causing his website to announce his candidacy earlier than planned.[34]
2007
January 2007
January 1 – Republican candidate
Rudy Giuliani's
campaign strategy is made public in the New York Daily News.[35] Giuliani claims the material was stolen while the News claims it was left in a hotel accidentally.[36]
January 15 – Republican Representative
Tom Tancredo of
Colorado establishes an exploratory committee.[44]
January 17 – Democratic Senator
Barack Obama of
Illinois announces that he is forming an exploratory committee.[45]
January 20 – Democratic Senator
Hillary Clinton announces that she is forming an exploratory committee.[46] Republican Senator
Sam Brownback of
Kansas officially announces his candidacy for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination in a rally in his home state.[47]
April 12 –
Barack Obama wins a straw poll held at a virtual town hall debate between the Democratic candidates on the subject of the
Iraq War, with 27.87 percent of the vote. 4,882 votes are cast.[68]
May 20 – The
Georgia Republican Convention straw poll is won by former senator
Fred Thompson, with 44 percent of the vote. 429 delegates participate.[78]
July 1 – A Republican forum is held in
Des Moines,
Iowa, co-sponsored by the Iowa Christian Alliance and Iowans for Tax Relief.[84]
July 2 – Facing severe financial problems, Republican candidate
John McCain fires over a hundred campaign staffers and publicly considers accepting
matching funds.[85]
August 12 –
Tommy Thompson announces that he is dropping out of the race for the Republican nomination due to a poor showing in the Ames Straw Poll.[96]
August 16 – Mitt Romney wins the
Illinois State Fair's Republican straw poll, with 40.5 percent of the vote. 922 votes are cast.[97]
August 19 – A Democratic debate is hosted by
ABC in Des Moines, Iowa.[98]
September 12 –
Yahoo! and The Huffington Post host a Democratic "mashup" debate, allowing viewers to choose which candidates they want to hear from on specific issues.[103]
September 21 – The Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference is held at the Grand Hotel in
Mackinac Island,
Michigan, featuring the traditional straw poll, which is won by
Mitt Romney with 39 percent of the vote.[106]
November 5 –
Ron Paul raises the most money on a single day of any Republican candidate to date with US$4.3 million.[121] Paul also raises the most money
online in a single day.[122]
December 16 – Republican candidate
Ron Paul raises more than $6 million through
online donations in 24 hours, breaking his own record of $4.3 million to become the highest figure ever raised in a day.[138]
December 20 – Republican candidate
Tom Tancredo announces that he is dropping out of the race for the Republican nomination. He endorses Mitt Romney.[140]
February 14 – Mitt Romney endorses John McCain for president.[190]
February 17 – Barack Obama and former candidate
John Edwards meet at Edwards's home in
North Carolina to discuss the possibility of Edwards endorsing Obama.[191]
March 14 – The
controversy over
Barack Obama's pastor
Jeremiah Wright's past remarks on race and patriotism begins. Wright leaves the Obama campaign's spiritual advisory committee.[214]
March 21 – Former Democratic candidate Bill Richardson endorses Barack Obama.[217]
March 25 – Hillary Clinton admits that she "misspoke" in campaign comments about a 1996 visit to
Bosnia-Herzegovina, in which she claimed to have been under hostile
sniper fire.[218] Former
First LadyNancy Reagan endorses John McCain.[219]
March 26 – Mike Gravel withdraws from the Democratic race and announces that he will seek the
Libertarian Party's presidential nomination.[220]
April 15 – Republican candidate
Alan Keyes officially announces that he has left the Republican Party and is considering joining the
Constitution Party.[225]
June 27 – Hillary Clinton joins Barack Obama at a rally in
Unity, New Hampshire, her first public appearance since ending her presidential campaign.[256]
August 23 – Barack Obama announces his selection of former Democratic presidential candidate and Senator
Joe Biden of
Delaware as his
running mate.[263]
August 24 – The
Democratic National Committee unanimously votes that the delegates to the Democratic National Convention from
Florida and
Michigan will be fully seated. It had previously stripped both states of their delegates as punishment for moving their primary dates before February 5.[264]
August 27 – Barack Obama is officially nominated for president by the Democratic Party.[265] Joe Biden is nominated for
Vice President of the United States, accepting minutes later.[266]
August 28 – Barack Obama accepts the Democratic Party presidential nomination in a speech delivered at
Invesco Field in
Denver.[267]
September 3 –
John McCain is officially nominated for president by the Republican Party,[269] winning over 98% of the delegates. Ron Paul received
5 to 29 votes, and Mitt Romney received
2 votes.
September 10 – Former Republican candidate
Ron Paul expresses support for
Constitution Party nominee
Chuck Baldwin,
Green Party nominee
Cynthia McKinney and
independent candidate
Ralph Nader in a joint press conference at the
National Press Club.[271] The purpose was to outline shared principles of all: non-interventionism, civil liberties, balanced budgets, and uncorrupt monetary policy.[271]Libertarian Party nominee
Bob Barr, who was invited by Paul, held a separate conference down the hall, joining in the support of shared principles, but protesting that Paul ought to endorse the Libertarian nominee (Barr himself) specifically. Barr's protest was cited[271] as a reason for not giving him the endorsement; two weeks later, Paul would instead specifically endorse[272] the Constitution Party nominee.
October 29 – The
Obama campaign airs a 30-minute prime-time television
advert on several networks, including a live component at the end of the broadcast.[284]
December 8 – The Supreme Court declines to rule on President-elect Obama's eligibility to take office.[292]
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.[293]
2009
January
January 8 – Vice President
Dick Cheney, in his role as
President of the U.S. Senate, opens the certificates of the electoral votes from the various states, which are then counted by two tellers from the
House of Representatives and two from the
Senate. Cheney then announces the votes for president and vice president.[294] Unlike previous electoral vote counts, there were no faithless electors, leaving the final tally unchanged from election day projections.
January 21 – In the
White HouseMap Room, Chief Justice
John Roberts administers the
presidential oath for a second time to
Barack Obama "out of an abundance of caution" as a result of the word "faithfully" being misplaced when the oath was originally administered at the public inauguration ceremony a day earlier.[296]