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
Mike Gravel at the launch of his presidential campaign
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]
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]
2008
January 2008
Rudy Giuliani in Derry, New Hampshire, January 7, 2008John Edwards announces his withdrawal from the Democratic race in New Orleans, January 30, 2008.
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]
Barack and Michelle Obama onstage after Obama becomes the presumptive Democratic nominee, June 3, 2008John McCain at a campaign rally in Kenner, Louisiana, June 4, 2008
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]
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