Historical marker commemorates Obama’s presidential campaign

A historical marker on the grounds of the Old State Capitol in Springfield was dedicated Nov. 30 to commemorate President Barack Obama’s 2007 and 2008 presidential campaign announcements from the building’s lawn.

Representatives from the Obama Foundation, the Old State Capitol Foundation, Gov. JB Pritzker, state lawmakers and community members were on hand for the ceremony.

Obama, a former Illinois state lawmaker, was a U.S. Senator representing Illinois when he announced his bid for presidency from the Old State Capitol with his family on Feb. 10, 2007. 

The announcement attracted statewide, national and international attention to Springfield and the Old State Capitol. An estimated 17,000 people gathered at the site to watch.

Eighteen months later, on Aug. 23, 2008, Obama returned to the Old State Capitol for another major announcement: that U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware would be his running mate. Again, Springfield and the Old State Capitol became the focus of international attention.

Obama was elected as the nation’s 44th president on Nov. 4, 2008. 

He made history as the first African American elected as president of the United States and he was the fourth Illinoisan elected to the office. 

Biden became his vice president, and both served two terms. Biden went on to be elected president in 2020.

Funding and design of the historical marker was the result of a partnership involving the Old State Capitol, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources the Illinois State Historical Society and the Obama Presidential Library.

The Old State Capitol in downtown Springfield is a state historic site operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. It was Illinois’ statehouse from 1840 to 1876 and is the site where Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous “House Divided” speech.