United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004

Infobox Election
election_name = United States Senate election in Illinois, 2004
country = Illinois
type = presidential
ongoing = no
previous_election = United States Senate election in Illinois, 1998
previous_year = 1998
next_election = United States Senate election in Illinois, 2010
next_year = 2010
election_date = November 2 2004


nominee1 = Barack Obama
party1 = Democratic Party (United States)
popular_vote1 = 3,597,456
percentage1 = 70


nominee2 = Alan Keyes
party2 = Republican Party (United States)
popular_vote2 = 1,390,690
percentage2 = 27
map_

map_size = 150px
map_caption = Election results by county
title = Senator
before_election = Peter Fitzgerald
before_party = Republican Party (United States)
after_election = Barack Obama
after_party = Democratic Party (United States)The Illinois United States Senate election of 2004 was held on November 2, 2004. Democratic candidate Barack Obama defeated Republican candidate Alan Keyes by 70% to 27% in the race to represent Illinois in the United States Senate. Obama's large lead in the polls led him to be invited to deliver the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention on July 27, 2004, and his victory in the November 2004 election raised his profile nationally and within the Democratic Party.

After Republican incumbent Sen. Peter Fitzgerald announced on April 15, 2003 that he would not seek re-election, and his predecessor, Democrat Carol Moseley Braun declined to run for election, the Democratic and Republican primary elections held on March 16, 2004 included a total of 15 candidates, who combined to spend a record total of over $60 million seeking the open seat. The Democratic primary election, including seven candidates who combined to spend over $46 million, was the most expensive U.S. Senate primary election in history. Obama came from behind after the leading Democrat in the race, Blair Hull, became embroiled in a domestic abuse scandal. Obama won the primary with a landslide margin of 29% over his closest Democratic rival; his vote total equalled the combined total of votes for all eight candidates in the Republican primary. Jack Ryan won the crowded Republican primary with a plurality of votes by a margin of 12% over his closest Republican rival, but three months later, on June 25, 2004 announced his withdrawal from the race — four days after the "Chicago Tribune" succeeded in persuading a California court to release previously-sealed child custody records containing embarrassing allegations by Ryan's ex-wife. Six weeks later, on August 4, 2004, the Illinois Republican State Central Committee asked Alan Keyes of Maryland to replace Ryan as the Republican candidate. Keyes accepted four days later and moved into an apartment in Illinois four days after that, less than 3 months before the general election. The election was the first in which both major party candidates were African Americans, and the 43% margin was the largest in Illinois history in a U.S. Senate election.

Democratic primary

The Keyes-Obama race was one of the first to be called on Election Day, November 2, 2004.

At the start of Keyes' candidacy in August, Keyes had 24% support in the polls. He received 27% of the vote in the November general election to Obama's 70%. [cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/IL/S/01/index.html |title= America Votes 2004: U.S. Senate/Illinois |accessdate=2007-08-12]

Following the election, Keyes refused to call Obama to congratulate him. Media reports claimed that Keyes also failed to concede the race to Obama.Fact|date=January 2008 Two days after the election, a radio interviewer asked Keyes whether he had conceded the race. Keyes replied, "Of course I've conceded the race. I mean, I gave my speech to that effect."cite web |url=http://www.renewamerica.us/archives/transcript.php?id=377 |title=Alan Keyes on the Scott Thomas Show, WYLL |accessdate=2007-08-12 |date=2004-11-04 |author=Thomas, Scott |work=Allan Keyes Archives]

On the radio program, Keyes explained that his refusal to congratulate Obama was "not anything personal," but was meant to make a statement against "extend [ing] false congratulations to the triumph of what we have declared to be across the line." He said that Obama's position on moral issues regarding life and the family had crossed that line. "I'm supposed to make a call that represents the congratulations toward the triumph of that which I believe ultimately stands for... a culture evil enough to destroy the very soul and heart of my country? I can't do this. And I will not make a false gesture," Keyes said.

References

ee also