Barack ObamaPolitical Offices |
Whom did he defeat to win a U.S. Senate seat in 2004? |
Obama won the Democratic primary over numerous challengers. He was set to face Republican Jack Ryan. However, Ryan withdrew from the race after his divorce records became public. His ex-wife, actress Jeri Ryan, alleged that her husband made her have sex with him in sex clubs in New York, New Orleans, and Paris. Ryan withdrew and Alan Keyes accepted the Republican nomination. Obama won easily, capturing 70 percent of the vote.