Name: Barack Obama

Party: Democrat

Occupation: Lawyer

Current Position/Job: Illinois Senator

Status: 2/12/07 Statement of Candidacy

Campaign Website: http://www.barackobama.com/

PERSONAL

Birthdate: August 4, 1961

Birthplace: Honolulu, HI

Hometown: Jakarta, Indonesia; Honolulu, HI

Spouse: Michelle Robinson Obama

Children: Malia Ann Obama, Sasha Obama

Religion: United Church of Christ

EDUCATION

Harvard Law School, J.D., 1991

Occidential College/ Columbia University, B.A.

Punahou School

EXPERIENCE

Public Service/ Elected Offices:

Senator, US Senate, 2005-present

Senator, Illinois State Senate, 1997-2004

Military Service:

None

Businesses Owned:

None

Board Memberships, Past Careers:

Joyce Foundation

Member of Trinity United Church of Christ

Woods Fund of Chicago

Leadership for Quality Education

Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law

Cook County Bar Association Community Law Project

Center for Neighborhood and Technology

Chicago Annenberg Challenge

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

1990s: Practiced civil rights law and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School.

1997-2005: Illinois state senator, representing the 13th District.

2000: Ran for a U.S. House seat but lost primary to former Black Panther Bobby Rush.

July 27, 2004: Delivered keynote address at the Democratic National Convention.

November 2004: Won the U.S. Senate seat in Illinois, defeating Alan Keyes.

It was the first time in history a Senate general election race was between two African-American candidates.

BOOKS

Books By: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (2006); Dreams from my Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance (1995)

Books About: Hopes and Dreams: The Story of Barack Obama, by Steve Dougherty (2007)