2008 Republican Presidential Primaries

A total of 7 major candidates entered the race. Illinois Senator Barack Obama won the nomination, beating out New York Senator Hillary Clinton. While initially predicted to be a close race between Obama and Clinton, Al Gore surged in the polls and won a number of events. Ultimately, Barack Obama managed to hold off a late surge from Hillary Clinton and win the nomination. Al Gore placed third. After a long and competitive primary, every major candidate endorsed Barack Obama by the time of the DNC. On August 11, 2008, Barack Obama and his running mate, Delaware Senator Joe Biden, were officially nominated as the Democratic presidential and vice presidential candidates at the Democratic National Convention.